Happiness and Darkness
by WildAngelSpirit
Summary: (Sequel to 'Just When They Thought It Was Over') Detective Steve Borden (Sting) has great things happening in his personal life and career. But the stakes are high when unusual things begin happening. What will happen when the detective and his team are faced with a case from their worst nightmares? Alternate Universe. Story contains wrestlers from past and present. Details inside.
1. Welcome Back

_**Disclaimers-**_ _This story is fiction completely for entertainment purposes. No money is being made off of this story. I own only original characters._

 _ **Note-**_ _This story is the third in the series. It is a sequel to 'Just When They Thought It Was Over'. The story will make more sense if you read the previous two stories first. First in the series is 'Mountain Murders'. Second is 'Just When They Thought It Was Over'._

 _ **Warning-**_ _Some parts of this story will contain mature content. I warn at the beginning of graphic chapters so readers can use caution as needed when reading._

June 19th, 0730 Hours

John Layfield walked in to the station to find Seth in the break room watching TV. The chief was in his office on the phone. He nodded to him and walked on to the break room and sat down at the table with Seth.

"Any sign of the newlyweds?" Seth asked.

"I haven't seen them today but I am sure they will be in." John said.

"I know they are back from their honeymoon. They called me Friday night to let me know they were home." Seth said. "I kinda miss taking care of the animals, even if Jack did try to kill me a few times."

"They had such a nice wedding, my wife is still talking about it." John said.

"I have missed Trina around here." Seth said.

"Of course, you haven't had anyone to bicker with." John laughed.

Jerry walked in. "John, you got a call. I need you to get out to the new Angle house."

"Oh hell, I am sorry I got out of bed. What's going on?" John asked.

"I don't know all the details but Kurt just called saying Karen was causing some kind of problem." Jerry said.

"I swear that woman is gonna make me an alcoholic." John sighed as he headed out to respond to the call.

"Anything serious happen overnight?" Jerry asked Seth.

"No it was a pretty quiet night except for a drunken brawl at Almost Heaven. Randy had it taken care of before I got there." Seth explained.

"I really appreciate you helping out with extra shifts so Trina could go on her honeymoon." Jerry said.

"I was glad to do it." Seth said.

They heard laughing and looked up to see Steve carrying Trina into the building. Seth raised an eyebrow as he watched them.

"Steve, the tradition is you carry the bride over the threshold of your home, not her workplace." Trina giggled.

"Well I carried you over the threshold on the cruise and at the farm when we got home. So why not first day back to work?" Steve kissed her.

"Looks like the honeymoon ain't over." Jerry chuckled as he walked out to join them.

"Are you two gonna be like all sappy in love for the next six months?" Seth chuckled as he followed the chief.

"Jealous Rollins?" Steve asked as he set Trina's feet on the floor.

"At this point I am turning diabetic." Seth laughed. "Glad you are back."

"Yeah, we missed you guys…a little." Trina hugged them.

"Well you look so happy, I can tell it was a great honeymoon." Jerry smiled.

"I am surprised you can still walk." Seth winked. "I mean after all, you cut Steve off in March."

"Very funny Seth." Steve rolled his eyes.

"So tell us all about the honeymoon." Jerry said.

"Just the dirty stuff." Seth sat down at his desk.

"I would Seth but then you would feel incredibly inadequate." Trina laughed. "Anyway, it was great. We had beautiful weather and the cruise ship was amazing. Even the days we were just at sea were fun. And Hawaii was just gorgeous."

"So you all moved in at the farm?" Jerry asked Steve.

"Oh yeah, my boys helped me move the last of my things while they were in for the wedding." Steve said.

"A California city slicker living on a West Virginia farm." Seth laughed. "Sounds like a reality show."

"Well I never expected it, but I am so happy about it." Steve kissed her forehead.

"Oh I am gonna be sick." Seth laid his head on the desk.

"I better get to the station. I am sure I have a back log of work to catch up on." Steve kissed her.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight." She smiled. "Love you."

"Love you too." Steve said. "See you guys later."

Steve walked out and Trina sat down at her desk, firing up her laptop. "So what did I miss while I was away?"

"Nothing exciting. Your wedding was the big news in town, you know how it is in small towns." Jerry said.

"Yeah there was even a huge write up about it in the local paper, Mr. Heenan himself wrote it. We kept a few copies for you." Seth said.

"Let me see, he told me at the wedding that he was going to put the wedding in the paper but I thought it would be under the weddings/engagements section." Trina said.

"Well considering how quiet things have been around here lately, the wedding was practically headline news." Jerry said as Seth handed her one of the saved newspapers.

Trina opened the paper to the second page where there was a picture of the bridal party standing in front of the arch. Steve, Trina, the boys, Naomi, and Seth. The headline read 'County Detective Marries Davis Officer at Canaan Valley Resort'

 _June 3, Wedding bells were ringing for two Tucker County civil servants as they exchanged vows surrounded by family and friends at the Canaan Valley Resort in a double ring ceremony. County Detective Steve Borden and Davis Officer Trinvilla Conley (prefers to be called Trina) were engaged this past New Year's Eve. The wedding was officiated by the Rev. Ted DiBiase Jr. Brides attendants were Officer Seth Rollins (a long time close friend of the bride whom she insisted stand with her on her special day) and Maid of honor Naomi Knight. Sharing the duties of Best man were the groom's sons Garrett and Steven Borden._

 _The wedding was held outdoors at the Canaan Valley Resort overlooking the mountains. Beginning at 4:30pm, the bride was given away by Davis Chief Jerry Lawler and Lt. John Layfield both close friends of the bride. The happy couple chose to exchange traditional vows along with rings. Local music teacher Lilian Garcia sang a beautiful rendition of 'The Rose' during the ceremony._

 _The reception followed the ceremony, held in the conference room of the resort lodge. Guests were treated to a large buffet dinner. Many toasts were given for the happy couple including by both Best men, the maid of honor, Tucker County Sheriff Flair, Parsons Officers Jey and Jimmy Uso, DA Damien Sandow and Tucker County Coroner Dolph Ziggler. The newlyweds shared their first dance to 'It's Your Love' sung by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Afterwards others joined the couple on the dance floor for dancing and celebration. Steve and Trina had a beautiful four tiered wedding cake covered in daisies and butterflies that they cut and fed to each other, playfully smearing a bit of icing as they did._

 _Later in the evening the bride gathered all the single ladies on the dancefloor for the traditional tossing of the bouquet. While the DJ played 'All the Single Ladies' Trina tossed her bouquet and it was caught by Lilian Garcia who had sang during their ceremony. A chair was brought to the dancefloor for Trina to sit on as Steve removed her garter with the DJ humorously playing 'Whatta Man' by Salt-N-Pepa. The single gentlemen then took to the dancefloor and when Steve tossed the garter it was caught by family friend Dean Ambrose. As is tradition, Dean then put the garter on Lilian's leg and in a show of fun bravado gave her a quick kiss._

 _As the evening wound down, guests gathered outside the resort to see the couple off. Steve and Trina walked through a tunnel of their friends blowing bubbles as they left for their honeymoon, a Hawaiian cruise. Detective and Mrs. Borden will live in Tucker County following their return. All of us here at the Davis Gazette wish them all the best._

"What a nice write up, remind me to send him an extra thank you card." Trina smiled.

"Well I am gonna get back to work. Let me know if there is anything I need to look at." Jerry said and walked back into his office.

"Glad to be back to work? Or wish you were still on your honeymoon?" Seth asked.

"I am glad to be back. We did miss everyone but it was an amazing trip. We took all kinds of pictures. I will have to show you some when I get them printed." She smiled.

"So…Mrs. Borden…."

"Actually I am gonna be a hyphen. Mrs. Conley-Borden, that way I am still Mrs. Borden but when we work together we don't both look every time someone says 'Hey Borden'." She laughed.

"Makes sense I guess." Seth shrugged.

"Oh good, the wedding photos have been uploaded for me to look through. Come look with me." Trina told him as she looked at the wedding photographer website.

"Where did you find that photographer? He was a loon." Seth said.

"Yes he was offbeat, but when I visited his studio over in Petersburg and saw how beautiful his work was, I knew Enzo would be a good choice. I guess he is one of those eccentric artist types." Trina giggled.

"Enzo Amore…. I hope that is some kind of professional name." Seth shook his head.

"Oh look, there is Steve, the boys and the twins helping them get ready." Trina said.

"Yeah, the twins said Steve was a bundle of nerves."

"He was? Why?"

 _"Steve, relax. You love her, why are you nervous?" Jimmy asked as he helped Steve with his boutonniere of daisies._

 _"Trina has waited on this day her whole life. What if I drop the ring? Or step on her dress? Or mess up my vows?" Steve said._

 _"Were you this nervous when you married mom?" Garrett asked._

 _"Yes but for different reasons. Trina endured a bad relationship before I moved here. I just want this day to be perfect for her." Steve said._

 _"It will be. She loves you so much you could walk out there in a potato sack and she'd still be happy." Jey assured him._

 _"I am so glad that Trina went with our dress uniforms. Saved all that tux rental crap." Jimmy said._

 _"I am too. She really likes our dress blues." Steve smiled._

"Oh that is so cute. I didn't know he was nervous." Trina smiled.

"What is Naomi doing in that picture?" Seth asked.

"Putting my garter on me."

 _"You look gorgeous. Steve is gonna be speechless. The V-neck, cap sleeve dress was the right choice. It looks like it was made for you." Naomi smiled._

 _"Glad I went with no train. I think it looks nicer for an outdoor wedding." Trina said._

 _"Ms. Hewlette did a great job with the flower arrangements. The yellow and white daisies look beautiful everywhere." Naomi said. "And Kelly did a great job on our hair. Your veil looks great."_

 _"Okay, I got something new with the beautiful earrings you got me. Something old, Mrs. Layfield gave me an old coin to wear in my shoe…something about good luck. Something borrowed…. Seth loaned me his me cross necklace, I tied it in my bouquet." Trina said._

 _"Something blue, let's get your blue garter on you." Naomi picked it up from the table. "Let's be careful to not wrinkle your dress."_

 _"You look beautiful. I am so glad you are gonna be here with me for this." Trina told her as she knelt down to slid the garter on her._

 _Naomi was wearing a short yellow lace dress. She carefully slid the garter above Trina's knee. She stood back up and made sure both their dresses were perfect._

 _"I am thrilled to be here." She hugged her. "Now let's get you married before Summer sweeps in and kidnaps the groom."_

"Naomi would've killed Summer if she had so much as shown up at the wedding, let alone tried anything." Seth laughed.

"Oh the ceremony was so pretty." Trina looked at the pictures.

"Yeah and you only cried twice." Seth said.

"So nice…these pictures of Steve and the boys are so nice." Trina said.

"How does it feel to be a mom?" Seth asked.

"It is something I am still adjusting to. I mean I love the boys, but I want to be very careful not to upset the good balance we have and make sure they understand I do not want to replace their mom." Trina explained.

"Oh look, it's some of the funny pictures we posed for." Seth laughed.

They laughed looking at the pictures of the guys with their guns, John and Jerry 'threatening' Steve, Naomi making Seth pose with her bouquet, Trina laying across the laps of all the guys.

"Oh there are the pictures they took of us on the ski lifts. Only time I have ridden the ski lifts around and round 5 times." Seth laughed more.

"I am glad, look how pretty they turned out. I love this one of me and Steve kissing on the lift." Trina said.

"There is one of me with Naomi on the ski lift." Seth said.

"Look how pretty the ones by the river turned out." Trina smiled as they looked at the pictures.

"You and Steve look so happy." Seth commented at one picture of them gazing at each other by the river.

"We are; I love him so much." Trina smiled.

"No kidding, look at you guys dancing at the reception…. was Steve singing to you?" Seth asked.

"Yeah. That was when he surprised me by having the DJ play 'My Girl'. Trina smiled.

"Oh yeah…that was when Naomi began gushing about how great Steve is."

 _"How incredibly sweet is that man?" Naomi watched them dancing._

 _"I have to admit, he certainly is on his game today." Jey laughed._

 _"Look at Trina, I think she is walking on air." Naomi said. "That man is something special."_

 _"I feel like I am in a Lifetime movie." Seth chuckled._

 _"I love them both, I am happy for them." Naomi said._

 _"Let's take bets that she comes home from the honeymoon pregnant!" Dean Ambrose popped up._

 _"Dean, how many have you had to drink?" Jimmy asked._

 _"I don't know. I did a round of shots with the sheriff and then there was the toasts. I had a drink with some cougar and another one with Seth's mom." Dean laughed._

 _"You were drinking with my mom?" Seth stared._

 _"Oh sure, nice lady and she was all teary eyed over the happy couple." Dean laughed._

"Wait…was your mom the cougar?" Trina laughed.

"Don't even go there." Seth glared. "And what the hell are you two doing in that picture?"

"Oh…. Enzo told us to do a naughty pose." Trina chuckled.

"So you grabbed each other's boobs?" Seth stared at the picture of the girls laughing and joking grabbing each other.

"Oh please, it's Nae. Who do you think helped me shop for my honeymoon lingerie?" Trina rolled her eyes.

"Why wasn't I allowed to participate in that bridesmaid duty?" Seth asked.

"Because you were at Steve's bachelor party buying him a triple lap dance."

"Hey the twins bought him a lap dance with that girl with her clit pierced." Seth protested.

"I hate that woman! I can't take it anymore." John stormed into the station.

"What on earth happened?" Trina was confused.

"John got another call about Karen Angle." Seth snickered.

"Oh dear, with Kurt's wedding this Saturday I can't imagine what insanity Karen is up to. What was it this time? Setting the church on fire?" Trina asked.

"No, that would've been easy I could've just called Zenk." John reached for his coffee. "Karen showed up at Kurt's new house demanding that he let her see their daughter's flower girl dress. Now Kurt and his fiancée have shown Karen the dress several times in the catalog…and they paid for it themselves. So I pulled Karen aside to ask her exactly why she needs to see the dress…. she tells me she doesn't believe they bought the dress they showed her and she is afraid they will dress the girl in something inappropriate."

"I don't think they even make inappropriate flower girl dresses." Trina frowned.

"So then I asked the fiancée why they didn't just show Karen the dress…apparently they were afraid she would damage it. Throw a drink on it or something on it. Finally, I got Karen to agree to leave if Kurt showed her the dress from behind a closed door. So the fiancée brings the dress to the door, Karen sees it is the one from the catalogs they had showed her…and storms off." John gulped down the rest of his coffee.

"You know there will be more antics before the wedding." Trina laughed.

"Oh you missed it last week when that poor Bayley girl working at the gentlemen's shop had to call me because Karen was in there insisting she didn't want her son wearing green 'because he doesn't like that color' meanwhile green is the wedding party colors." Seth laughed. "Apparently Karen was trying to make changes behind the bride and groom's back."

"This woman is nuts. We should get Jerry Springer here to film this craziness." Trina chuckled.

"Oh you hush. You weren't here for two weeks having to deal with Karen's anti-wedding antics." John said. "Like when she tried getting herself invited to their pre-wedding counseling at the church."

"Why in the world did she want to go to their counseling?" Trina asked.

"Something about she felt she needed to be included since they would all three be raising the children." Seth said.

"That is actually a good point." Trina said.

"Karen tried giving the preacher a list of her rules for how the children were to be raised and wanted the preacher to tell the engaged couple that since she was the mother, she got final word." Seth said.

"Well she had a good idea for about two seconds." Trina sighed.

"I am so glad Trina's wedding didn't have any of that stupidity." John said.

"No they just had the bride and maid of honor wrapping their legs around Randy." Seth glanced at the picture Trina was looking at.

"Oh we were just goofing around with Randy." Trina laughed. "Enzo said to do some funny poses with friends."

"Is that why you were kissing Roman in the last one?" Seth asked.

"Oh yeah, he was a good sport about the whole thing." Trina laughed.

1700 Hours

"Trina, how many times are you gonna look at those pictures?" John laughed.

"I am having such a hard time deciding which ones I want in what sizes. Of course I want Steve's input as well." She said.

"That Enzo guy must have taken about three hundred pictures." John said. "He took pictures of everything from the minute we got to the resort to the moment we left."

"That is exactly what I wanted. I want to remember every second of that day." She smiled.

"Dear god she has the dreamy look on her face again." Seth walked in.

"Thought you were home sleeping?" Trina asked.

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to come back." Seth said. "Must be all these Cubs' victories keeping me awake."

"Rollins so help me, you are gonna be nutless like Daniel." She glared.

"Oh here we go." John sighed.

"Way out in first place. I told you, this is the year of the Cubs." Seth smirked.

"And it doesn't mean a damn thing because they spent more money buying all-stars than the entire net worth of Microsoft!" Trina shot back.

"This coming from the woman who is cheering for the entire national league minus the Cubs." Seth raised an eyebrow.

"That's right, that's how much I hate that team. I don't care who beats them as long as someone does!" she narrowed her eyes.

"Have I mentioned how great Kris Bryant is doing this season?" Seth chuckled.

"And if you do one more time I am gonna use my service weapon to change you from a rooster to a hen!" she glared.

"Well I see it didn't take long for Trina to get back in the swing of things…at least not when it comes to arguing with Seth." Steve laughed as he walked in. "I love those crazy things she says."

"Steve, if he doesn't hush about the Cubs I am going to strangle him." Trina said.

"Seth, you are upsetting my bride." Steve deadpanned.

"Of course, all while you two were steaming it up on your honeymoon, the Cubs have been continuing their winning ways. Your libido isn't the only thing on fire these days." Seth laughed.

"Oh brother." John shook his head.

"Did you see any games while you were on your honeymoon?" Seth asked.

"Oh of course. I would turn on the TV and let Steve take me doggy style so I could watch baseball!" Trina said sarcastically.

"Trinvilla!" Steve rolled his eyes.

"Hey, if the Cubs get on a losing streak, you might have to do that! I ain't missing the Cubs choke!" Trina winked.

"Were you two siblings in a past life?" John groaned.

"Steve, here is the newspaper with the article about our wedding in it." Trina handed him one of the saved copies.

"Oh good. I was so busy catching up on stuff today I didn't get a chance to read it." Steve said as he began reading.

"We should be heading home. I need to get some work done in the garden." Trina started gathering her things.

"How goes the plans for the new barn?" John asked.

"Just fine, should be able to start building as soon as I get the lumber." Steve frowned. "Trina, did you see this article about this guy trying to bring major MMA events to West Virginia?"

"Just what I need, Rousey coming to my home state." Trina frowned as she looked over Steve's shoulder. "I didn't notice that article, I was too busy reading about the wedding."

"You're just mad because Rousey is more popular than the guy fighters." Seth said.

"No, I am pissed as hell because she is a sorry excuse for a human being. I mean she was a bully, refusing to shake hands, making fun of people…truly believed her own hype that she was unbeatable…. then she loses and can't handle it and was suicidal!" Trina said.

"Seth I will pay you a hundred dollars if you can go one day without fussing with Trina." John sighed.

"Where is the fun in that? And Trina, you shouldn't pick on someone struggling with mental problems." Seth said.

"I ain't. First of all, if you can't handle losing along with winning, you are not meant to be an athlete. Every athlete has a mindset that you win and you lose. Second…. I really wonder if she was even suicidal. To me a lot of her bullshit she started saying when she finally came out of hiding was a plea for sympathy. Like every other bully, they get knocked down and can't handle it." She said.

"Who is this Lesner guy anyway?" Steve frowned as he read.

"From what we have seen on the news and such, he is a business man. He is hoping to cash in by working with West Virginia officials and venues to bring big MMA events here. You know UFC, Bellator, that kind of thing." John explained. "He has been to Wheeling, Morgantown, Charleston even Huntington trying to get investors and meet with people."

"That bald big mouth ain't gonna bring the UFC here." Trina shrugged.

"Why would a business man want to bring MMA here? Doesn't seem smart." Steve folded up the paper.

"Oh who knows? You know some people are always looking for a way to make a buck." Seth shrugged.

"Okay, Mrs. Borden are you ready to go? Jack and Wonder have missed us and Daniel keeps following me around." Steve said.

"Yes, Mr. Borden. And I promised you grilled chicken for dinner." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Are all newlyweds like this?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Just the happy ones." John said.

2000 Hours

Steve walked onto the back porch and saw Trina was still in the garden. Jack was sitting at the edge watching closely everything she did. He smiled and sat down on the porch swing. She looked over and saw him and decided she had worked enough for the evening. She walked over to the porch and smiled at her new husband.

"How was everything on the phone?" she asked about the phone call that Steve had taken earlier.

"The sheriff wants me to do some traveling." Steve said. "I told him I would have to discuss it with you first." Steve said.

"Traveling? What's up?" she climbed the stairs and sat beside him on the swing.

"Well, the sheriff feels that as the county detective I should be attending various training and seminar sessions and then holding sessions here to train the county officers. He thinks it would be a good way to help keep updated with the progress and new technologies." Steve explained.

"Well it is an election year, but that seems to make good sense. Being a rural county we don't have the budgets that other places do. This would help us stay current." Trina agreed.

"And with all the negative things going on with police around the nation right now that would be a positive step for us and could help us stay out of those messes." Steve said.

"So how often would you have to leave home?" Trina asked.

"He has lined up some seminars and classes over the next several months. I would be gone at various times for maybe a week or so at a time."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"Like you said it makes sense, and if he had asked me this last year I would've jumped." Steve told her.

"So why aren't you jumping now?"

"Because I have a new bride. How do you feel about all this?" he took her hand. "I would never make a big decision like this without talking to you."

She smiled. "We're married but we are still civil servants. And if this is going to make us better officers, it is for the good of the county."

"But how do you feel about me leaving you alone here and there while we are still in that 'honeymoon phase'?"

She chuckled. "Baby I plan to be in the honeymoon phase for at least ten years. I will be fine. Besides, I like the thought of being married to smart sexy detective. And you start training us back here…. I can play 'Hot for Teacher'."

"Just what I need." Steve shook his head fondly. "You're really okay with this?"

"I'm fine. Part of what I love about you is that you are such a dedicated detective. And I know how much you are encouraging me to further my education. I am doing the same for you." She squeezed his hand.

"Okay…but if you change your mind, just say so."

"Oh I will be fine. If I get lonely I will just have an affair with Seth." She winked.

"I can see it now. He wears a Cubs cap to bed and you try strangling him with your bra." Steve laughed.

"Sounds like something we would do." She laughed and kissed him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. Come on, let's go enjoy this honeymoon phase." Steve picked her up.

"Wait, I am sweaty and gross from working in the garden." She giggled.

"Sounds like we should start in the shower." Steve managed to pull the door open.

"I like how you think." She laughed.

 **Author's Note-** _Well here is the start of the third story in this series. I hope everyone enjoys this story and gives feedback to help me as I write it. I adore all my readers and I am very excited at the positive encouragement each of you gave me to continue this series._

 _ **PSA-**_ _If you are reading this story (or any story posted on this site) please take a few minutes to review. For every chapter that you enjoy, the author has spent time and effort working on it. If you don't enjoy a chapter, tell the author why in a mature manner as that will give the author areas to improve, expand on etc. Nothing is more frustrating to an author than putting their all into a story and getting no feedback._


	2. Settling In

June 21, 0700 Hours

Steve woke up slowly seeing sunlight coming into the bedroom. He felt Trina snuggled against him and pulled her tighter against him. She grunted softly but didn't wake up.

He chuckled. "Baby, time to wake up."

"I don't want to get up yet." Trina mumbled.

"You got spoiled to sleeping in while we were on our honeymoon." He kissed her forehead.

"Well that was partly because someone kept me up so much at night." She giggled.

"Are you complaining?"

"Hell no, it was wonderful." She finally opened her eyes. "Good morning husband."

"Good morning wife." Steve kissed her. Jack put his paws up on the bed and looked at them. "I think Jack wants out."

"I better let him out and get breakfast started." She yawned.

"I'm gonna grab a shower and then I will be down." He said.

Trina climbed out of bed and pulled her robe around her before walking out of the bedroom and downstairs. She let Jack out the back door and saw the outdoor cats sitting on the porch waiting to be fed.

"Feed you in a few minutes." She told them.

She closed the door and walked back into the kitchen. Wonder was meowing looking for Jack. She talked softly to him so he wouldn't feel alone while she dug in the fridge to get out the breakfast food. She could hear the shower running as she began cracking the eggs for breakfast.

She heard the phone ring and she hurried to answer it. "Hello?"

"Trina, glad I caught you before you left for work." Naomi was on the other end of the line.

"Hey Nae, what's going on?" Trina smiled as she went back to fixing breakfast.

"In honor of you and Steve being back we are having a cookout this weekend. Okay actually the guys are looking for any excuse to have steaks, play with fire and drink a few too many." Naomi laughed.

"Oh that sounds fun, but I might end up on call. The Angle wedding is this weekend and you know that Karen is bound to cause problems." Trina said.

"That woman is gonna give the whole county a drinking problem." Naomi sighed. "But if you have to leave we will understand. I think the guys really missed Steve while you guys were gone."

"Oh those twins, they are like honorary brother-in-laws or something." She laughed. "Guess that means we're sister-in-laws now."

"Don't say that, usually in-laws hate each other." Naomi laughed.

"Oh did you hear the good news. Joe cut a plea deal after he found out Dave Batista was going to testify against him." Trina said.

"Yeah, I think Damien got evil glee out of handling that case. Minimum of three years in jail and when he is released he is not allowed to contact you." Naomi said.

"That could be my favorite wedding gift." Trina agreed. "But despite it all, I still feel bad for his son. That little guy is the innocent one."

"Between that lying whore mother and that insane father of his, he's gonna have it rough." Naomi said. "I will let you get ready for work. Say hello to Steve for me."

Trina hung up the phone and flipped the eggs. Steve walked in, dressed for work.

"Who was on the phone?" he wrapped his arms around her.

"Naomi, apparently we are invited to a cookout at their place this weekend." Trina leaned back against him.

"You have got to start wearing something under that robe in the mornings." He chuckled.

"Nah, teasing is more fun." She giggled.

"You are gonna be the death of me."

0830 Hours

Trina was seated at her desk going over some paperwork listening to the radio. The chief was in his office but otherwise the station was empty. She looked up when she heard the door open and saw Damien walk in carrying several folders.

"Damien, what brings you by this morning?" she smiled at him.

"Look at you, nice tan. The honeymoon must've suited you well." Damien chuckled. "Paul Heyman continues to be a thorn in my side."

"What now? I thought his trial in Texas was set to start this fall." Trina frowned.

"It is, but the families in Tennessee and Washington are bringing civil lawsuits." Damien sat down.

"And they want to use the West Virginia cases to show a pattern." Trina finished his thought.

"More than that. The attorney out of Washington that I spoke to…a Dennis Condrey…he is apparently going all out and is hoping to get a bigger settlement by bringing out every gruesome detail he can." Damien explained.

"That is going to be hell on the families. And what is the point of big settlements? Heyman's money will be depleted by legal fees." Trina rolled her eyes.

"I guess he wants to make a statement. And you know how many times big settlements are just that…a statement because nothing ever gets paid." Damien agreed.

"Have you tried talking him out if it? The gory details I mean." She said.

"Until I was blue in the face. Between you and me, I think he is a bit of an Otunga. Hoping to make a big name for himself off this case." Damien said.

"Oh terrific, another jackass wanting to make a fortune off the suffering of others." Trina groaned.

"Sadly it is the times we live in. By the way, the prosecutor…."

"I hate that woman!" John stormed in the station with Seth behind him chuckling.

"Karen Angle strike already this morning?" Trina raised an eyebrow.

"I am ready to pay Kurt money if he will elope." John went for the coffee pot.

"The wedding is in three days." Trina said.

"I love coming here. What is going on with Karen now?" Damien smirked.

"More attempts at sabotaging the wedding, or at least making everyone miserable." John sat down at his desk.

"She showed up at the bakery this morning when it opened. She started claiming that she was helping with the Angle wedding and the couple had sent her to make some last minute changes. Well Miss Majors got suspicious so she called the bride who immediately told her that Karen was in no way helping out with the wedding and was not authorized to make any changes." Seth explained.

"Good for Selina. Glad she caught on before Karen ordered them a black cake covered in spiders with laxative filling." Trina laughed.

"Well when Miss Majors informed Karen that she had double-checked with the bride and would be unable to make changes, Karen exploded. Selina then ordered her out of the bakery. She refused to go so Selina called us." Seth chuckled. "When we got there Karen began insisting she wanted to change the cake to something the kids would like."

"This woman is a new kind of psycho." John mumbled.

"I did call the bride and suggest that she call all her vendors and wedding related people and instruct them that no changes were to be made unless it was by her or Kurt. Maybe that will cut down on some of this insanity." Seth chuckled.

"You know, we might want to patrol that wedding and reception to keep her from ruining anything." Trina said. "I know it about the marriage and not the one-day party. But as much as I love Steve, I would've been devastated if someone had interrupted our ceremony or made a scene at the reception. It is like a black mark on such a special occasion."

"I have heard of bridezilla but never ex-wife-zilla." John groaned.

"Well I need to get to the office. Let me know if anything comes up?" Damien stood up.

"Can you have Karen executed?" John asked.

"West Virginia doesn't have the death penalty. You know this." Damien chuckled.

"So charge her with a federal crime. Lisa Montgomery, Timothy McVeigh, the Rosenburg's." John said.

"Hey, Ethel was innocent." Trina piped up.

"We know; we know you believe that." Seth sighed.

"Do I need to go over the evidence again?" Trina asked.

"I need to go, but I am sorry to leave. I love the shows these two put on." Damien laughed as he walked out.

"I am convinced Karen is pulling these stunts as much for attention as to disrupt the wedding." Trina said.

"Why would she care about attention?" Seth asked as he grabbed some coffee.

"All this puts attention on her, takes away attention from the bride and groom." Trina said. "Some people can't stand it when others are the center of attention."

"Speaking of bridezillas, I am just so thankful that you didn't turn into one." John said.

"Yeah, I missed a great chance to drive Seth crazy." She giggled. "But in all honesty when planning the wedding, I read some bride horror stories online. I vowed I would never do anything so horrible."

"Like what?" Seth sat down.

"Like that one bride whose grandmother died the morning of the wedding. Instead of grieving for her grandma, the bride had a tantrum that the seating arrangements would be messed up." She shrugged.

"That is nuts." John agreed.

"Or another bride that upon returning from her honeymoon, emailed one of the guests saying that they had spent eighty dollars on the guest's dinner and the guest had only given them fifty dollars as a gift therefore she owed them another thirty dollars." Trina laughed.

"Oh that is beyond petty." John said.

"The story that took the cake was actually a horrible mother of the bride story. As the couple were leaving the church, the groom caught two fingers in the door and broke them. So they sent everyone on to the reception and the bride and groom hurried to the ER. The ER staff understanding what a big day it was, hurried and got them in and out in 90 minutes. So the couple rushes to the reception thinking all they missed was dinner and can still have a nice reception. Only when they get there they find out that the mother of the bride has already cut the cake, tossed the bouquet, and did the first dances. Apparently ol mom got on the microphone and said she had paid for this big reception and was gonna get the most for her money." Trina cringed.

"I would punch her, I don't care if she is a woman and my new mother-in-law." Seth said.

"You and me both." Trina agreed.

"Well I am off to get some sleep. I am going to need my rest for Karen's next stunt." Seth laughed.

"See you later. I am getting the honeymoon pictures printed today." She called after him.

1800 Hours

"And this is me and Steve at the USS Arizona memorial." Trina handed Seth the picture.

"Such a sad place." Seth frowned.

"Actually, it is a very peaceful place. When I went I was thinking I would be emotional and it'd be sad. But once I got there, I found it was very peaceful. These are soldiers that will never be forgotten and millions of people will forever visit paying respects. But I don't think I would want to be there at night. There has to be some ghosts around because of so many violent deaths." Trina said.

"And what is that?" Seth pointed at the next picture.

"That is Steve on the deck of the USS Missouri which is nearby." Trina smiled.

"Leave it to you to go on a honeymoon and still make it educational." Seth laughed.

"Hey, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. How many chances will I ever get to stand in the spot where WWII ended?" she said.

"You have a point. You sure took a lot of pictures." He agreed as he looked at the dozens of pictures covering her desk.

"Well I am going to make up a honeymoon album." She said. "Look, here I am on the USS Bowfin."

"What is that? Never heard of it." Seth frowned.

"It is a submarine that served in the Pacific during WWII." She explained. "That submarine sunk or damaged 51 Japanese controlled ships during the war."

"Why do you look so sad in this photo?" Seth picked one up.

"Oh…. I was reading about all the missing submarines and the searches for them. It is very sad to think of soldiers lost, not knowing where they are…just missing somewhere under the ocean." Trina said.

"Who took all these pictures of you and Steve at the beach?" John looked over her shoulder.

"Those were taken at Waikiki. Some sweet lady got to talking to us, realized we were newlyweds and offered to take some candids of us. Robin Smith was her name. She was visiting Hawaii from Louisiana." Trina said.

"Why is Steve carrying you on his back into the water?" John asked.

"So he could protect me from sharks." She giggled.

"This newlywed stuff is gonna give me cavities." Seth groaned.

"Oh then you are going to love this one of us kissing at the Haleakala National Park." Trina held up a picture.

"Did you see any active volcanos?" Seth asked.

"Sure, at the Volcanos National Park." She said. "Here is one of Steve on the boat, and behind him is lava flowing from the Kilauea Volcano."

"Where is this waterfall?" John picked up a picture of her and Steve standing in the water kissing in front of a waterfall.

"That is Waimea Falls on the island of Oahu. Cute lady took that picture for us…she was Japanese. Itzuki something was her name." Trina said.

"Must be talking about the honeymoon." Steve walked in.

"Yes and if I see one more picture of you two kissing, I am gonna be sick." Seth rolled his eyes.

"Jealous Rollins." Steve chuckled. "It was our honeymoon, what did you expect?"

"Here, how about this one of us dancing on the cruise ship?" Trina held up the picture.

Seth looked at the picture of Trina in a turquoise cocktail dress dancing with Steve. Both smiling at the camera.

"That one isn't so bad." Seth said.

"Ready to head home? I wanna call Lowes and put in an order for the lumber for the barn so I can just pick it up tomorrow." Steve said.

"Sure thing. Just let me gather all my stuff." She said as the phone rang.

"By the way, Summer is now throwing her attention at Jey." Steve chuckled.

"Remind me to stop over there and sit on his lap." Trina said as she gathered her pictures.

"What good will that do? She knows you're Steve's wife." John asked.

"Maybe she'll think we're having a threesome." Trina shrugged.

"Just what I need." Steve shook his head at his wife's antics.

"Or maybe me and Nae will both sit on his lap and she can think Jey's having a threesome and keeping it all in the family." Trina winked making Steve laugh out loud.

Seth hung up the phone. "John, we better get out to Karen Angle's house."

"What? No, I can't stand the sight of her." Seth sighed.

"You just dealt with her this morning. What is going on now?" Trina asked.

"That was Kurt's attorney on the phone, Robert Ross. Kurt called him upset so he is going to meet us there and has also called Judge Zbyszko." Seth stood up.

"What the hell is going on out there?" John asked.

"From what I was told on the phone, Karen is trying to take the kids out of state on a 'vacation' which means they will miss the wedding. Kurt went over to her house to talk with her and try to stop her and when he couldn't he called his attorney who called us and the judge trying to see what can be done." Seth said.

"That's it, I am filing for combat pay." John insisted.

"Need our help?" Trina offered.

"No you guys go on home and enjoy the evening. We'll handle the Jerry Springer Show." John assured them.

"Besides, Karen see another happy bride and she might spontaneously combust." Seth snickered.

2030 Hours

Trina was sitting in the living room working on the album of their honeymoon while Steve sat nearby reading the newspaper. Jack and Wonder were asleep by the couch.

"Honey, when did you take this picture?" Trina held up a picture of her lounging by the pool on the ship.

Steve looked over at her. "One day when we were lounging by the pool and you weren't paying attention."

The phone rang and she leaned over to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Trina, how is my favorite former pet?" Seth snickered.

"Seth, everything okay?" she asked.

"Oh fine, just wanted to let you know we got everything settled with Karen for now." Seth snickered. "John is up at Almost Heaven having a few drinks after dealing with her."

"So what happened?"

"Well, the judge wasn't able to stop her since they have shared custody and nothing in their custodial agreement about vacations. So Kurt and his attorney informed Karen that if she took the kids out of state forcing them to miss the wedding that Kurt was going to sue for sole custody of the children. When Karen scoffed at that, the attorney told her that Kurt would have a very good case because of all the problems they have had with her the past year, plenty of witnesses willing to testify to those incidents and her arson charges back in December. John jumped in that he would personally be in court to testify on Kurt's behalf. At that point Karen backed down and agreed to let the kids attend the wedding." Seth said.

"Did Kurt mention if they have hired any security for this wedding?" Trina asked once again.

"John asked him privately and Kurt said that some of his cousins will be standing guard at all doors. The cousins were willing to miss the ceremony in order to insure that everything goes smoothly. Also their reception site over in Grant County has their own security…some golf course." Seth answered.

"Well as long as they are prepared for disaster. What are you doing on nightshift?"

"Watching the Cubs leading this game." He gloated.

"They'll blow it. It might take until October but they will blow it!" she insisted.

"Must be watching a Cubs game." Steve said behind the newspaper.

"I am hanging up. I have a gorgeous sexy man that I just happen to be married to here with me. Why should I waste time talking to a hamburger when I have a steak a home?" she giggled.

"I've heard of being ogled and made to feel like a piece of meat but that is a new one even for you." Steve chuckled as she hung up.

"Seth was catching me up on the Karen Angle mini-series." Trina giggled. "So what's good in the news?"

"That Lesner guy had a meeting with Vince McMahon about his MMA venture. He wants McMahon's broadcast company on board for advertising." Steve said.

"Hope he realizes what a snake McMahon is. He'd be better off dealing with Shane McMahon. He is the only one that makes any sense in that family." Trina went back to her pictures.

"Says they found an unidentified body in the Kanawha River outside of Charleston. Badly mutilated, no prints or teeth available to help identify it." Steve read.

"Could be a drug deal gone bad or a hooker pissed off the wrong pimp." Trina sighed.

"And a young man has gone missing in Huntington…. says his name is Johnny Curtis. Family reported him missing last weekend after he missed their annual family reunion." He told her more news.

"Missing person's cases are so sad. John Doe cases are sad." She said.

Steve folded up the newspaper. "So how goes the album?"

"We took a ton of pictures." She smiled.

"It was a special trip, our honeymoon, the first time either of us have been to Hawaii, only the second time you have been on a plane." Steve began looking through a few of the pictures.

"It was a great trip. Who took this picture of us in the hot tub by the pool after the casino night?" Trina asked.

"Don't you remember? We were hanging out in the hot tub and that guy with the drunk girlfriend came by." Steve said.

"Oh yeah, that blonde with way too much make up and dressed way too young for her age. I guess Debra was her name, that's what he called her. He was nice enough to snap a few pictures for us. What did he say his name was?"

"Todd I think." Steve laughed. "I thought she was gonna climb in the tub with us, clothes and all."

"Come on, let's go for a walk." She stood up.

"This late?"

"Sure, just around the farm. We'll take Jack. It's a nice evening." She tugged on his hand.

"Can't say no to an offer like that. But I am taking my service weapon. Too many critters around here. Not that you would let me shoot anything." He chuckled as he followed her.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _First I want to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter and added this story to your favorites/following. I was overwhelmed and excited by all the support from everyone and it got me to writing even more. You guys are so awesome! Paisley2 (LOL I just realized when reading your comments that Punk is another Heyman guy…and he is now in MMA too.) Jcott3 (I have been pleasantly surprised at how well everyone has taken to the Angle angle (pun intended). And I could just picture Enzo as one of those crazy genius artsy types.) reikat (Yes I can completely understand how Sting can demand attention when it comes to stories. And you aren't alone. I love Roman, two of my friends love Roman and we are all frustrated that the fan hate seems to be derailing pushes.) Batistasprincess (Seth is fun to write. He is an awesome muse.) Debwood-1999 (I am interested as this story progresses to see who figures what out first. I will say that a few important things were mentioned in this chapter.) theDarkRyder (Everyone is already blaming Brock! This could get interesting.)_


	3. Long Night

**Note-** Rated this chapter PG-13 just to be safe. Nothing graphic but material may be upsetting to some so use caution as needed.

June 27th, 0330 Hours

The phone was ringing loudly through the farmhouse, waking Steve and Trina from a deep sleep. Trina rolled over and blindly grabbed for the phone beside the bed.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Trina, I hate to wake you but I need you down at the station." Seth said on the other end.

"Seth? What is going on?" she opened her eyes.

"We got a female…. victim…witness, not sure exactly what, she isn't making sense and she won't let me near her. I thought maybe she would respond better to a female." Seth sounded distressed.

"What do you know about her?" she asked as she climbed out of bed and began searching for clothes.

"Randy brought her in, he is still here. He found her along the road. She is disheveled and dirty. I sat her down to try talking to her and…. suddenly she just flipped out." Seth said.

"Okay, keep her there until I get there. See if you can calm her down. I will be there as soon as I can and I am bringing Steve with me." Trina hung up.

"What's going on?" Steve sat up.

"I am not sure. Seth said Randy brought in a female that was lost or something and she is flipping out." Trina pulled on some pants.

"Better find out what is going on." Steve stood up.

The couple quickly got dressed and hurried down the stairs. Trina made sure the house was securely locked and followed Steve to his pick-up truck. They climbed in and Steve set his red light on the roof and started it so they could hurry to the station.

As Steve drove, Trina hurried to brush out her hair and make herself look presentable. Steve kept a close eye on the road as he sped towards town.

They pulled up in front of the station and Trina jumped out of the truck and hurried into the station. When she walked in, she saw Seth talking to Randy Orton. The female in question was nowhere in sight.

"Oh good, you are here. The girl is in an interrogation room. I locked her in there so she couldn't leave as she seems quite upset." Seth explained.

"Does she have any weapons?" Trina asked.

"I don't think so but I can't be sure. When I was trying to talk to her and ask her to shake out her own clothes and pat herself down since a female officer wasn't here…she flipped." Seth frowned.

"What do we know about her?" Trina asked as Steve walked in.

"Randy brought her in." Seth said. Trina turned to look at Randy.

"I was on my way home after closing up the bar. Suddenly there was this screaming woman running into the road." Randy explained. "I stopped to help her. She…seemed frightened and didn't make much sense, mumbling something about a van. I couldn't leave her and didn't know what she was running from so I managed to get her in the car and brought her here."

"Where did you pick her up at?" Steve asked.

"29 just outside of town." Randy answered.

"Okay, Seth you stay with Trina and help her. Trina you try talking to the girl. Randy, I want you to ride out there with me and show me where you picked her up at. I want to look around there." Steve said.

"Sure, no problem." Randy agreed.

"Be careful out there. This could be anything from a domestic dispute to a tweaker." Trina said.

"You too." Steve told her. He squeezed her hand before walking out with Randy.

"Let's go try to find out what is going on with this girl." Trina said.

Seth and Trina walked to the back of the station where the interrogation rooms were. Trina looked in one and saw a girl with purple hair standing against the wall looking confused and scared.

"Watch through the window, I'll signal if I need you." Trina said.

She opened the door and slowly walked in. The girl looked over at her and backed up a few steps.

"Hello, I'm Officer Trina Conley-Borden. Can we talk for a little bit?" Trina asked calmly.

"You're really an officer?" the girl frowned.

Trina nodded. She took her badge off and laid it on the table. "You can check it."

The girl slowly creeped over to the table and picked up the badge. She ran her fingers across it and looked up at Trina. Before she could blink, the girl launched herself at Trina, hugging her and crying.

"Hey, you're safe now. You're safe here. I promise." Trina decided to comfort her, gambling that she didn't have a weapon.

"Where am I?" the girl asked.

"You don't know?" Trina frowned.

"No…. everything is a bit…." And she broke off crying.

"Come on, sit down." Trina helped her into a seat. "Calm yourself, come on. Slow your breathing."

It took a few minutes but the girl finally slowed her breathing and brought her crying under control.

"Let's start with your name." Trina asked.

"Sasha…. Sasha Banks." She managed to get out.

"Good, now Sasha can you tell me why you were in the road outside of town?" Trina asked.

"I…. I was kidnapped." Sasha said.

"Do you know who kidnapped you? Was it a boyfriend or husband?" Trina asked but Sasha shook her head no. "Okay, let's start at the beginning. Where are you from?"

"Berryburg." Sasha said.

"Barbour County. Now were you in Tucker County of your own accord?"

Sasha nodded. "I drove down this morning to go hiking."

"Did something happen to you while you were hiking?" Trina asked.

Sasha nodded again.

"I need you to tell me what happened. Did someone abduct you while you were hiking?" Trina prodded.

"I had stopped to rest. I had sat down on a stump." Sasha started explaining.

"Take your time."

"I didn't hear anything but suddenly I couldn't see, something was put over my head…a pillowcase I think. I tried to fight but there was two of them." Sasha cried.

"Okay, calm down. Now what else do you remember?" she asked.

"Next thing I remember, they had tied my hands and forced me into a vehicle. I could hear them talking and hear the motor running." Sasha said.

"Could you understand anything they talked about?" Trina asked.

"Something about bidding and cameras. I didn't understand much…I was…."

"Hey…it's okay. It's okay. None of this is your fault. How long were you in the van?" Trina tried to keep her talking.

"A long time, they stopped the van for a while. I don't exactly how long. I finally began working to get my hands untied."

"Is that how you got away?"

"Yes, I finally wiggled my hands free and managed to get the cloth off my head. I realized I was in a van. No seats in the back." Sasha said.

"Did you get a look at the men?"

"I couldn't see very well. It was dark and I was…. I didn't want them to know I had worked myself free." She said.

"It is okay. Then what happened?"

"I realized that I had to try getting away…. there was nothing else to do but jump out while the van was moving. Luckily the back doors opened when I tried it and I jumped out…. I heard the brakes screech. I…. I rolled into a ditch and tried to hold my breath." Sasha explained.

"Did they get out of the van to look for you?" Trina asked.

Sasha nodded. "I could hear them talking…arguing that now they would have to try again and the boss would be upset. They…. I don't know how long…finally left."

"Did you see the van? Can you give me any description? Color? Make? Anything?" Trina asked.

"It was a dark color, black or navy blue…maybe even brown, I don't know. It seemed like a delivery van but no windows except I guess the front." Sasha was still shaking.

"What happened after they left?" Trina asked.

"I don't know…. I laid in that ditch a long time, afraid they would come back. Finally, I decided to leave in case they come back so I climbed out of the ditch…. I started running down the road and I saw headlights…. I waved my arms and that guy stopped…. I can't remember…I was so glad he was helping me." She said.

Trina nodded. "That is enough for now but I will need to ask you some more questions later. Trust me when I say you are safe here. Officer Rollins can be trusted, he is a wonderful cop and he might need to talk to you too. I am going to call our coroner, he will need to collect evidence from you, you might have trace evidence on your clothing. You can trust him too, our ME is wonderful and compassionate."

Sasha nodded but didn't speak.

"Right now I want you to relax as much as you can. You are safe here. I will get you some water to drink. Do you feel you need a doctor? Are you hurt?" Trina asked.

"I don't know. I don't feel any pain." Sasha shrugged.

"That might be adrenaline but let us know if you begin feeling any pain. Did they touch you sexually at all? Do we need to run a rape kit?" she asked as delicately as she could.

"No, they didn't do anything like that." Sasha said.

Trina nodded and stood up. "I am going to leave you here a little bit. Try to relax, calm down. Officer Rollins and I will be down the hall if you need us. I will be back soon."

Trina walked out of the room and Seth was waiting for her outside, having watched the interview.

"Attempted kidnapping?" Seth asked.

"Looks that way. I hope this isn't some attempt to cover up for an abusive boyfriend or something. But for now, we investigate it as an attempted kidnapping." Trina said.

"And with this being peak season for summer tourists, could've been anyone." Seth sighed. "I will call Dolph down here to collect her clothing. We got some spare clothes that will fit her?"

"Yeah, chief always makes sure we have some extras in storage, I will look for some that will fit her." Trina said. "Gonna be a long night."

0445 Hours

Steve walked back into the Davis station alone. He walked over and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Where is Randy?" Seth asked.

"I told him go on home…. if we needed any more from him we could talk to him later. He needed rest and I didn't find a single piece of evidence out where he picked her up." Steve sipped his coffee. "Damn, my wife made this." He turned to add sugar.

"The girl gave her name as Sasha Banks. I ran her name through the system. Clean record. She is twenty years old, lives in Berryburg. Attends junior college and works part-time at Wendy's." Seth said. "Trina got her to talk and Sasha says she was abducted but managed to get away."

"Where is Trina?" Steve asked.

"She went to check on Sasha while we wait for Dolph to come collect evidence." Seth answered.

"This time of year this town is crawling with strangers." Steve shook his head.

Trina walked back into the room. Steve noticed she looked tired but wasn't complaining.

"How is she?" Seth asked.

"Pretty shook up. She swears she doesn't need a doctor but I am gonna see if she will let Dolph give her a quick once over just to be sure. And she is gonna need counseling." Trina sat down.

"You believe her story that she was abducted by strangers and escaped them?" Seth asked.

"I do. But I am a bit confused about her mentioning that she overheard the kidnappers talking about videos and bidding." Trina frowned.

"Do you think it was related to her kidnapping?" Steve asked.

"It is possible. Maybe they were kidnapping her for human trafficking purposes." She said.

"You've been watching too many Liam Neeson movies." Seth said.

"I'm serious. Human trafficking is a very real problem. I have always believed that human trafficking is what happened to Amy Bradley…and Johnny Gosch." She insisted.

"Anything is possible. Crazy world we live in these days." Steve agreed.

Dolph walked in carrying his forensics kit. He looked tired as well and it was obvious they had woken him up to come down to the station.

"Sorry to get you out of bed." Trina told him.

"Not a problem, part of the job." Dolph said. "Did you find some clothes for her to change into?"

"Yes, cotton shorts and shirt that should fit her." Trina said.

"If she is this shook up, I will take her into the locker room to change. Trina you go with me. We will need to wear gloves and bag up her clothing as soon as she hands it to us to maintain as much evidence as possible." Dolph explained.

"Sure, whatever you need." Trina stood up.

"You said she has refused to go to the hospital and says there is no need for a rape kit?" Dolph confirmed.

"Yes, she insists that she was not molested in any way." Trina said.

"Okay, let's go meet with her." Dolph said.

"We'll be here if you need anything." Steve said. "We're gonna make some calls. See if the state police have seen anything unusual."

Dolph and Trina walked down the hall to the interview room. Trina opened the door and walked in with Dolph behind her. Sasha looked up at them.

"Sasha, this is Dr. Dolph Ziggler. He is our medical examiner and handles collecting forensic evidence. He is very good and you can trust him." Trina told her, not wanting her to panic or be upset.

"Hi, mind if I call you Sasha?" Dolph smiled. She shook her head. "I am going to explain to you what we need to do. Your clothing may have trace evidence on it. It could've been transferred from your abductors or picked up in the van. Officer Conley-Borden and I are going to take you to the locker room. We have clothes for you to change into. As you take off a piece of clothing, I need you to hand it to Trina and she will immediately place it in an evidence bag. Later at the lab it will be inspected for possible evidence."

Sasha nodded and stood up. The three of them walked to the locker room at the station. Dolph opened his kit and handed Trina the evidence bags and a pair of gloves. Trina motioned Sasha to the back to a more private area and away from Dolph's view.

"Okay Sasha, just take your time and change at a pace you feel comfortable." Trina said.

Sasha nodded and began to change her clothing. As she removed each piece, she handed it to Trina and Trina would place it in the evidence bags Dolph had handed her. When Sasha was redressed in the clothes given to her they walked back out of the locker room.

"What happens now?" Sasha asked.

"I was hoping you would allow Dr. Ziggler to give you a quick once over. Just to make sure you haven't hurt a wrist or ankle or something. Then we will finish taking your statements and drive you home." Trina explained.

0815 Hours

"I just spoke to Dean Ambrose. He will tow Sasha's car to her home. It was found not far from the Plantation Trail." Trina explained to the chief.

"So a girl drives down to spend the day hiking, gets abducted and manages to get away. And it is peak tourist time so it could've been anyone." Jerry frowned.

"The only description Sasha was able to give us is it was at least two guys, both a bit husky. It was a delivery type van but no color or plates to help." Trina said.

"I did take a drive around the camping grounds out at the park…no vans matching that description there." Seth said.

"No much to go on. Guess we will have to wait to see if Dolph finds anything on her clothing. Let's hope this is a one off strange occurrence." Jerry sighed. "But good job you guys. I am glad you handled everything so well."

"Steve and I checked with the state police. No similar complaints had come into them last night and no records of anyone stopping a delivery van." Seth explained.

"Well, not much else we can do right now. Seth go on home and get some rest. Layfield will be in soon. I am gonna make some phone calls to neighboring counties and see if they have had any similar problems." Jerry walked into his office.

"Trina, you look exhausted." Seth said.

"I'll be fine. We pull long hours sometimes." She shrugged.

"Look at the bright side. The Angle wedding is over and with Kurt and his new wife in Florida on their honeymoon, Karen should be calm for a few days." Seth chuckled.

"John will be thrilled. Although I am glad that the groomsmen found Karen in the parking lot before she could ruin the getaway car decorations." Trina yawned.

"She was doing what?" Seth frowned.

"You know how the bridal party decorates up the getaway car that the couple leaves in for their honeymoon? Remember, you guys ties cans to the back of Steve's truck and then wrote 'He liked it so he put a ring on' across the rear window. Then left that huge tub of condoms on the front seat." Trina laughed.

"And Karen was trying to decorate the getaway car?" Seth was confused.

"From what I heard, the guys had already decorated the car and returned to the reception. Later one of the groomsmen stepped outside to smoke and saw Karen with a huge shoulder bag hanging around the getaway car. Her bag contained shaving cream, real paint and a screwdriver." Trina said.

"I have heard shaving cream can really damage a paint job." Seth said. "At least she was stopped. I am headed home. Need some rest."

"See you later." Trina waved to him as he walked out.

0900 Hours

Trina walked into the Parsons Station and looked around for Steve. He had called her to say he was back after driving Sasha Banks home and speaking with her family. She noticed Summer glaring daggers at her which she ignored as she spotted Steve and the twins at their desks. She walked to where they were seated and sat down on Jey's lap.

"Uh, have you hit your head?" Jey was confused.

Steve chuckled. "This is Trina's way of annoying Summer."

"I doubt her just sitting here is going to stop that thot with a bad tan." Jey said.

"Want me to do a lap dance? Might be cute with me in my uniform. I got handcuffs." She winked.

"Hey, remember me? The guy you married?" Steve laughed.

"Yeah, I am trying to save one of your friends from a leech!" she chuckled. "Actually I wondered if you would be interested in getting some breakfast. John came in and the chief told me to go get some food since I have been at work most of the night."

"That sounds great." Steve agreed.

"By the way, Naomi wants that coleslaw recipe. She loved that stuff you brought to the BBQ over the weekend." Jimmy said.

"I didn't think she got much of it. Seth ate enough for three people." Trina laughed.

"We all ate too much." Jey agreed. "We need to do that again soon."

"Fine with me, but next time we don't let Seth watch baseball." Trina said.

"Oh come on, it was hilarious! When the Cubs lost and you started singing 'Choke Cubs Choke' and then dedicated the game to Daniel!" Jey laughed.

"Well if you two don't mind, I am going to take my wife to breakfast." Steve stood up.

"See you later." She winked at Jey making Steve roll his eyes.

As the married couple left the station they noticed Summer fuming at Trina but she didn't speak to them.

"Everything go okay with Sasha?" Trina asked as they walked down the street towards the diner.

"Her parents were freaking out with worry and her mother nearly hurt me hugging me for bringing her home safely." Steve explained.

"I am glad she managed to escape. I just hope it was a one-time thing and whoever did it moved on quickly when she got away." Trina said as they walked into the diner.

They waved to Terry Allen behind the counter as they took their seats in a booth. They both picked up menus and begin looking over them.

"Trina, Steve so nice to see you." Bray Wyatt walked up to their booth.

"Good morning, Bray. How are you doing?" Trina smiled up at him.

"Not bad, been busy with the church." Bray said. "Congratulations on your marriage. I am sorry I was out of town and unable to attend."

"We understand." Steve said, never sure of how to take the strange snake-handler.

"Got any big plans for the summer?" Trina asked.

Bray closed his eyes for a few moments then opened them again. "A dark cloud is moving in. The very earth itself will cry out for mercy at the suffering of various creatures."

Steve raised his eyebrow as Trina just let Bray talk, used to his unusual talk.

"I'll let you two get back to your breakfast. I am headed out to the church." Bray breathed deeply and then smiled. "You are fruitful. May you be blessed." He patted her hand as he walked away.

"Did any of that make sense to you?" Steve asked her.

"No, but Bray is harmless. Strange but a good man. I am sure he understood what he meant." Trina shrugged.

"Let's go ahead and get breakfast. If this day gets any weirder I might need a drink." Steve waved for the waitress.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Seriously cannot thank everyone enough for the feedback. It makes me so excited to work on this story and I love reading all the comments. You guys are so great! Reikat (It has been more fun than I care to admit writing Karen. And to be honest I am not thrilled with how the WWE has been using Roman as of late. And I am annoyed the fans seem to be supporting Cena over Ambrose.) carlyrosanna83 (Punk is apparently busy losing MMA fights these days.) jcott3 (I never can sneak a cameo past you. You always catch them no matter how long ago the person was active. And so glad you are already trying to figure stuff out. Fan theories are the best.) Batistasprincess (Just be glad you don't know the real person I base some of Karen's actions on. LOL) Debwood-1999 (I enjoy putting some of the older guys in stories. Can't wait to hear those theories when you reveal them.)_


	4. Crime Against Nature

**Note-** Graphic material discussed in this chapter. Please use caution as needed.

July 6th, 0800 Hours

Trina walked into the Davis station and saw Seth sitting at his desk. The chief was in his office working on paperwork. She nodded to him and waved.

"Choke Cubs Choke, what a joke. Hey Chicago you dropped the ball. I know who's going home next fall." Trina began singing loudly, mocking the Cubs victory song. "It's not bad luck, the Cubs just suck. Hey Chicago whatta you say, been blowing games since 1908!"

"You're awfully chipper for someone whose husband is leaving town for a few days." Seth said.

"Yes, Steve is on his way to DC for a few days to attend a law enforcement seminar. But the Cubs in a slump having lost 12 of their last 17 games is a real morale booster!" She smiled as she sat down.

"It is just a little slump. They'll come out of it." Seth insisted. "All teams go through slumps."

"Now if only I could smack the hell out of that gold digger." Trina said.

"You still believe that woman is making up rape allegations against Jung Ho Kang just to interfere with baseball?" Seth rolled his eyes.

"Let's look at the evidence, shall we?" Trina said.

"Oh great, the kids are at it already." Layfield walked in.

"Last season, one of the Cubs players purposely slid into Kang at second base in a bush league move, severely breaking his leg, ending his season and assuring that he was out of the running for rookie of the year so that over-hyped Bryant could get it." She began.

"That was never proven to be intentional and the Cubs weren't sanctioned for that." Seth insisted.

"Oh please. Watch the replay. Coughlan reached his legs over to get Kang. You can clearly see him open his legs like a 2-dollar hooker." She insisted making John laugh. "And now that Kang is back from injury and been on fire with his bat…. suddenly a woman from CHICAGO is accusing him of rape. Coincidence?"

"Aren't you the one that usually defends women who accuse celebs of rape?" John interjected.

"Too much says this woman is looking for money or to ruin his career. Exhibit A: he met her through a dating app where the woman has to initiate contact. Chances are she picked him out knowing who he was. Exhibit B: She waited two days after the 'incident' to go to the hospital. Exhibit C: She waited 10 days after the 'incident' to contact the police." Trina insisted.

"Mrs. Borden makes a good point." John said.

"Oh sure, take her side." Seth sighed.

"Can't you two find some common ground in sports…like the Olympics are coming up." John said.

"Oh I haven't enjoyed the summer Olympics since 1984. Every time something happens that just annoys me and ruins the fun." Trina shrugged.

"You were a baby in 1984!" Seth rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, everyone remembers Lionel Ritchie singing at the 1984 games. And Mary Lou Retton? She is a local gal and was all over the media for a long time after the games ended. Back then the Olympics were more fun because there was a feeling of good vs. evil because of the cold war." Trina chuckled.

"What about the Barcelona games? With the Dream Team?" Seth asked.

"Oh don't even get me started on the Dream Team." Trina said.

"Yeah, don't get her started." John said.

"What could you possibly have against the Dream Team?" Seth frowned.

"John, Trina…. get out to the vet clinic. Dr. Reigns just called and said there is something weird going on with animals and thinks the police should be involved. Possible animal abuse or something." Jerry walked in.

"I'll go too." Seth stood up.

"You sure? You need to go on and get some rest." Jerry said.

"I'll be needed." Seth subtly nodded towards Trina.

"Yeah, you might be. Go on then, all three of you." Jerry said.

0900 Hours

The three Davis officers walked into the front of the animal clinic and were met by Linda Newton the receptionist.

"Dr. Reigns has been waiting for you. You can go on back. He is in exam room 4." She instructed them.

They walked into the back and found the door she had directed them to. Seth knocked and a few seconds later Roman opened the door and ushered them inside. They were surprised to see Bray Wyatt standing there as well. On the exam table was a very small goat, which looked horribly mangled and hurt and was unconscious.

"Roman, chief said you needed to see us." John asked as he frowned at the sick animal.

"I wanted to make the police aware that something…. strange is going on. Bray brought this goat in this morning. He said he found it in the woods and realized it was still alive." Roman said.

"But he wasn't alone. I came upon a huge pile of dead animals… rotting and dead. Apparently various states of decay. The smell hit me long before I found it. I noticed this little guy was still breathing and brought him here." Bray explained.

"But how he is still alive is a miracle to me. This is a definite case of animal abuse. At first I thought maybe a farm equipment accident or road accident but…. his injuries combined with Bray's story about the other dead animals, I thought it was time to get the police involved." Roman said.

"What were you doing in the woods?" John asked.

"Rattlesnake hunting." Bray said.

"Where were you?" Seth asked.

"Outside of town. Between 29 and the Blackwater River." Bray answered.

"What can you tell us about this goat?" Trina asked.

"From what I can tell he is a Nigerian Dwarf Goat. His injuries are quite extensive. He has been burned in three spots. Two penetrating wounds. Dehydrated, underweight and a crude amputation of one leg." Roman said.

"What other animals did you see in this pile of dead animals?" Seth asked.

"What I could recognize and I honestly didn't stay long due to the smell…. there were chickens, cats, dogs, pigs, rabbits and maybe a sheep." Bray said.

"What are you gonna do with this little guy?" Trina asked.

"Probably be best to euthanize him and ease his pain…." Roman started.

"No! You can't kill him. He has been through enough!" Trina yelled.

"Trina, he is nearly dead already. I know you love animals but…."

"Try treating him, what can it hurt to try?" she insisted. "Animals can live with a missing leg. I'll take him when he is healthy again. But do something for him!"

Roman looked unsure. "He is terribly dehydrated and probably full of infection from his wounds and burns. Trying to treat him might kill him."

"Please try! I'll pay for everything, even if it fails!" she tried again.

Bray gently patted the goat's head. "He'll survive Roman."

Roman raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Fine, I will do what I can for him. But it is a long shot."

"Thank you." She jumped and hugged Roman.

"I am beginning to see why Steve can never tell her no." Seth chuckled.

"Bray, we'll need you to take us out to where you discovered the other dead animals. Trina, you stay here and get a full statement from Roman about this goat's injuries and possible weapons or implements used." John said.

"Shouldn't I go with you?" she asked.

Seth rubbed her shoulder. "Let us handle this. We know you could do it, but it would hurt you worse than it will us."

She nodded. "Okay, call me with what you find."

"Come on Bray, we better get going." John said.

"Daniel is going to have a little brother." She winked.

"I'll print the announcements to be mailed." Seth deadpanned.

1100 Hours

Seth and John walked back into the station. Both sweaty, hot and feeling a bit sick. Trina looked up and frowned when she saw them.

"Are you guys okay? John, you are green enough to be Yoda." She frowned.

"It was as brutal as Bray described it. There must've been at least 25 dead animals in that pile. And in this heat…. maggots and the smell." Seth sat down.

"What did you get from Roman?" John asked.

"Def Leppard…as I have now named the little goat has a host of injuries. Roman confirmed that the burns are not from a branding iron like you might expect to see in a farm area. Roman thinks the burns are from an open flame of some type due to the unusual shape and singed fur. And the stab wounds were deep, Roman said at least a four-inch blade. He is not sure what was used to amputate the back leg but said it was very crude and not done with any surgical precision." She went over the report Roman had given her.

"Why Def Leppard?" Seth asked.

"Their drummer lost in his arm in a car accident but still kicks ass as a drummer." Trina smiled.

"And when you know Trina…that makes perfect sense." Seth shrugged. "I need a shower. I am about to vomit."

"I called the wildlife commission to clean up those animals. It is on state land and that many like that is a problem." John said.

"Could you tell what type of wounds the animals had?" Trina asked.

John handed her the crime scene camera he had used to photo the site. "Some were too far decayed to tell much, but a few were beheaded, some had their throats cut. It was nasty."

"This doesn't make sense. It doesn't sound like something tourists would be here long enough to do." Trina began uploading the pictures.

"And I can tell you this isn't typical farmer slaughtering of animals. Our farmers wouldn't dispose of waste this way. And these animals weren't slaughtered for market, they were just killed and thrown out. Besides, cats and dogs aren't used for food around here." John sighed. "I am gonna shower too. I need to get this smell off me."

Trina nodded and began looking over the pictures John had taken at the scene. Her throat tightened seeing such graphic horror involving animals. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, knowing she had to do this and put her emotions aside. Continuing her work, she began writing down notes on her pad on her desk.

Her desk phone rang. "Davis Police Department."

"Trina, it's Roman. I have managed to clean and suture all the goat's wounds. I have begun him on an IV of fluids and anti-biotics. The rest is up to him. All we can do now is wait and see." He said on the other end.

"Thank you. Keep me updated. I will be by tomorrow to check on him and let him start getting used to me." She said.

"How is Steve gonna feel about having another goat?" Roman asked.

"Oh he is used to me gathering up strays. I took in another outdoor cat not long before the wedding. Someone had abandoned him at the post office and Mr. Gibson called me. Steve knew when he married me it meant lots of animals. Besides, he has the new barn started." She said.

Roman laughed. "At least you have enough room for your animals. I'll be in touch."

She hung up the phone and went back to looking through the photos. She looked closer at a few as she made notes.

"I might as well stay here. I am just gonna nap in the break room." Seth walked out of the locker room.

"Seth, do you think that this could be some sort of cult?" Trina looked up at him.

"A cult? Around here?" Seth was skeptical.

"Well something weird is going on. I have been looking at these pictures and thinking…maybe these animals were killed as part of some sacrifice. Devil worship or a cult or something?" she suggested.

"These days I guess anything is possible. But I don't know who around here would be into such things." Seth shrugged. "I am going to catch a nap. Wake me if you need me."

"Get some rest, we'll handle things around here." Trina assured him.

1800 Hours

Seth had dressed for his evening shift and was eating a quick dinner in the break room. Trina was sitting at her desk listening to some music that Seth had never heard before and certainly wasn't her style. Picking up his plate he walked out into the main room and over to her desk.

"What are you listening to? It sounds like a funeral on acid." Seth asked.

"Well I have been hearing so much about this final album of David Bowie that I decided to give it a listen." She answered.

"Well Bowie always did march to his own drummer. But Bowie isn't your style." Seth sat down.

"Well he is such a legend, everyone knows some of his music. And while this is…different to say the least, I think he knew he was dying. He had been dealing with cancer but some of these lyrics you get a sense he knew he didn't have very long left." Trina said. "Don't worry, I am not going to sell my George Strait records."

"I would hope not since you are a one-woman campaign for Strait to play the Super Bowl halftime show." Seth laughed.

"I think a country music halftime show would be great. Some Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, George Strait." She smiled.

"Just what we need, women swooning because Luke Bryan is shaking it during halftime." Seth rolled his eyes.

"Not just halftime, anytime he shakes it we swoon." Trina winked. "Well I am about done here. I am gonna dig more into the possible cult connection tomorrow. I am headed home for the night."

"Gonna watch the Cubs break out of this slump?" Seth smirked.

"Are you kidding? Since July started they have only won one game! This is Christmas in July!" she smiled.

"They'll pull out of this and win 110 games before the season is over." Seth insisted.

"That is a terrifying thought." She rolled her eyes. "But luckily, I am getting a second goat…and we all know about the Cubs and goats! And hey….one of my outdoor cats is a black cat and they blamed a black cat for downfall in 1969."

"That is the past. This is the year of the Cubs." Seth insisted.

"Keep believing that, but I will have the last laugh in October." She said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am going home to my pets and to call my husband."

"Phone sex?" Seth chuckled.

"Not all of us call those 900 numbers like you do." She laughed. "See you tomorrow."

2015 Hours

Trina came in from the back yard after she had fed Daniel and closed the door behind her. Jack was watching her closely as usual. She headed up the stairs to take a relaxing bath, figuring she might as well make the most of being home alone for a few days. She had just changed out of her clothes and pulled a robe around her when the phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"And how is my beautiful wife?" Steve was on the other end.

"Missing her husband but otherwise she is okay." She smiled. "How is DC?"

"Well I arrived and got checked into the hotel. I forgot how much I hate big city traffic." He grumbled.

"Itinerary look good?"

"Tomorrow I am doing two sessions. One on dealing with domestic violence victims and one on pedophiles." Steve said.

"Oh wow, sounds intense." She said.

"How was work today? Is Seth still alive? I bet anything you rubbed in the Cubs losing so much lately." He laughed.

"You know me so well."

"Well I did marry you. Besides, I know you and Seth. You two love to drive each other crazy." Steve said.

"Actually, we got a very weird case, not even sure it is a case. Bray Wyatt was rattlesnake hunting and came upon a dumping ground for abused and mutilated animals." She explained. "And all kinds of animals."

"That is…. never heard of anything like that." Steve said.

"Me either, especially around here. I did some research online, thinking that maybe it is part of a cult or devil worship or something. I haven't found anything conclusive yet but I will continue looking tomorrow." She said.

"Are you okay? I am sure you took it hard." Steve knew his wife.

"Well, there is a bright spot in all this…. we're getting a new goat!"

"We are?"

"Yeah, this mini goat, actually Roman says it's a Nigerian Dwarf Goat, was still clinging to life when Bray found the animal dump site. Bray brought it to the animal clinic and I begged Roman to not euthanize him and see if he could get him healthy again. Roman finally gave in and I told him I would take the goat when he recovered."

"A dwarf goat?" Steve asked.

"Oh yeah, he will never be very big as they are miniature breed. He is only about two feet tall. He will be beautiful when he is cleaned up and healthy." Trina gushed.

"A mini goat, life is never boring with you." Steve laughed. "How bad is he? What is wrong with him?"

"Well, he was burned and stabbed and dehydrated and one leg was amputated. But Roman has gotten him patched up and says the rest is up to him. But Bray says he will pull through and well…. Bray is kinda…well let's just say he has a weird way of knowing things."

"A handicapped goat?"

"Animals can adjust to having just three legs, he will be fine." She insisted.

"Baby if you want a three-legged goat, it is fine with me. I am sure you'll spoil him like you do Daniel." Steve laughed.

"Thank you. I figured you would understand."

"I know you have a tender heart when it comes to animals. I wouldn't want you any other way." He assured her. "What else is going on?"

"Nothing much else here. Although John read in the newspaper they found a dead man in Bluefield and he has been listed as a John Doe. They can't find record of this guy anywhere, but they think he may have been homeless." Trina said.

"That is really sad. I hope they find a family member or something." Steve said. "Everything okay at the farm?"

"Everything is fine. Daniel is bedded down for the night. Jack and Wonder are in the house with me. And I was just getting ready to take a bath."

"You're naked?"

"I am wearing a robe." She giggled.

"Oh I know all about you and that robe." He said.

"Well now you can think of what you will be coming home to in a few days." She giggled.

"You don't play fair." He groaned. "Go ahead and take your bath. Call me when you're done to say goodnight."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too." He hung up.

July 7th, 0800 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk drinking coffee and typing on her laptop trying to look up occult activity. Seth walked in from being out on a routine patrol.

"Just a baseball club, known as the Chicago Cubs. They haven't won anything since 1908." She began singing to the tune of 'Don't Stop Believing'. "It's like their fate is sealed, playing there in Wrigley Field! Fans praying, wait in vain since 1908."

"It is too early in the morning for your antics!" Seth groaned.

"Are you kidding? They lost again….to Cincinnati! I am loving every minute of this." Trina grinned.

"Enjoy it while you can, they will climb out of this slump." Seth sat down. "Shouldn't you be missing your husband?"

"Oh I do miss Steve, a lot actually…. but damn if a few Cubs losses don't ease the pain!" She laughed.

"How is the rock and roll goat?" Seth asked.

"I thought I would stop by the clinic after I go meet with Bray Wyatt." She said.

"You're going to talk to Bray?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Bray has an inside to the more…. unusual religions of this area. He can probably give some insights about anything strange in the area." Trina said.

"I hope he has some insights into what goes on in your bedroom." Seth said.

"There is nothing strange going on in my bedroom. Now yours is a different story. Videos, magazines and lube." She giggled.

"I don't even want to know." Layfield walked in.

"We were just discussing the wonderful losing streak the Cubs are on." Trina smiled.

"It is just a bit of a slump before the all-star break. Just wait until they have the break to rest up." Seth countered.

"What do you mean rest up? Do you know how many of those fools is gonna be on the all-star team representing the national league? Fans have been complaining that the voting system needs revamped because it really isn't fair that one team is getting so many representatives while other great players around the league are getting overlooked because their team isn't in first place." She frowned.

"Do you two sit at home and think up ways to annoy each other?" John poured a cup of coffee.

"We love each other; we just love to drive each other crazy." Trina said.

"Oh I know that." John said.

"We're like siblings." Seth agreed.

"Except I am way too cute to be related to Seth." She smirked.

0900 Hours

Trina pulled up outside of Bray's church. The parking lot was empty but Bray lived nearby and often walked to the church to take care of business or the snakes. She climbed out of the SUV and walked to the back of the church. Sure enough, there was Bray in the outbuilding behind the church.

"Bray, good morning." She called to him.

Bray stuck his head out of the door and smiled. "Trina, good morning. What brings you out here today?"

"I was hoping to talk to you for a bit. Not an official visit, more of an informational one." She explained.

"Oh sure, come on in. I was just cleaning a few of the holding cages." Bray said, but Trina didn't move an inch.

"Ummm, I am not as good with snakes as you are." Trina said.

"They won't bother you, they'll sense you are special." Bray waved her in.

Trina raised an eyebrow and wondered what she was getting into as she slowly stepped to the door. She stood just inside the door and looked around. There were several aquariums lining the wall with snakes in them. She could recognize the rattlesnakes and copperheads.

"Well come on in. I promise they are securely put away for their safety and yours. And like I said, they sense how special you are. Besides, animals take care of those who take care of them." Bray assured her.

Still unsure but trusting Bray and knowing that while strange he wouldn't let her come to harm she took a few more steps inside the small building.

"I have been doing some research trying to find answers to the animal mutilation you found. Due to this being a police investigation I cannot tell you some things. But I was wondering if you had heard anything about cult or occult activity in the area recently?" she asked.

"I can see why you would try that avenue, but I haven't heard of anything like that." Bray said.

"Any devil worship? Maybe witchcraft?" she asked.

Bray laughed. "You've watched too many movies. The true wiccans are peaceful and seek oneness with nature. And while the area has a few kids trying to dabble in that, they are harmless."

"What about witches that do blood sacrifice?" she asked.

"Those are not true wiccans. That is tied to the dark arts and I don't know of anyone in the county into such things. But I don't think that is what this is." Bray said.

"What do you think it is?" she asked.

"Something dark and shadowy, there is no religion tied to it. But it feeds hearts of evil." Bray said.

She frowned not sure what his ramblings meant. "Can you be more specific?"

"I wish I could. The senseless slaughter of nature is a sin against the very soul." He told her.

"If you hear anything, call me at the station." She said.

"I will. Say hello to your husband for me." Bray smiled.

"Of course, he is out of town right now, but will be home in a few days." She said. "I'll see myself out so you can keep working."

"Let me know if there is anything else I can help with. And let me know how it goes with your new goat." Bray nodded.

1000 Hours

Trina walked into the animal clinic. She wanted to check on the progress of the injured goat. Linda Newton looked up from behind the reception desk and waved her over.

"Trina, so glad to see you again. I'll let Roman know that you are here." Linda told her.

She stood and waited a few moments, noticing that a few people were waiting in the waiting room. Roman walked out and waved for her to follow him.

"So how is my little goat?" she asked.

"He has surprised me. He has gained enough strength to wake up and he is moving around a little bit. He is still very weak, but I honestly didn't think he would come this far." Roman told her.

"Can I see him?" she asked.

Roman smiled. "Sure, he is in the back in one of the cages."

He led her to the back and opened the door. Inside one of the cages, she saw the little goat curled up on some towels. He had been cleaned up and had bandages on his wounds. She could see the IV drip still in place. Roman opened the cage and Trina sat down on the floor.

"Can I touch him?" she asked, not wanting to cause further injury.

"Yeah, just be careful of his bandages and be gentle." He told her.

She carefully patted his head and the goat opened his eyes. She frowned when he tried to pull away from her.

"He is very skittish. Considering what he has been through, I am not surprised." Roman said. "It will take time and patience for him to trust you and Steve. But I know you and know you are up to the challenge."

"Poor guy. I hope I get my hands on who did this." She said and gently patted him again.

"Let me know when you do. I wanna be in court for that one. I have handled some animal neglect cases in my time, but I have never seen such a blatant case of abuse." Roman frowned.

"Thank you so much for not giving up on him." She smiled.

"You didn't give me much choice." Roman said. "One bit of good news, he has been properly banded, most likely as a baby."

"I don't know much about Nigerian Dwarf Goats. Is there anything special I need to know? I know he won't get much bigger, but that is about it." She admitted.

"Dwarves are very pet-like. Most likely he will be like a dog. They are very gentle, easily trained and friendly. You will need proper fencing to be sure he is safe, but I am sure he will be just fine with your other critters." Roman said.

"I should get back to the station. Call me if you need anything or if his status changes." Trina said.

"Don't worry. My tech loves him and is babying him just like he did Daniel." Roman smiled.

2000 Hours

Trina sat down on her couch and put her feet up. She was tired and missed her husband. She dialed his cell phone and waited for him to answer. After a few moments, she heard Steve pick up.

"And how is my beautiful bride tonight?" he answered his phone.

She giggled. "I miss my husband but otherwise I am okay."

"Seth texted me today to tell me that I need to talk to you about singing annoying baseball songs." Steve laughed.

"You just wait until I see that guy tomorrow." She said.

"Don't strangle him, we need him." Steve said. "How was your day?"

"Busy but not bad. I spoke with Bray Wyatt today."

"How did that go?"

"Well, he said he doesn't know of any cults or occult type activities in the area. Other than that, his usual nattering that never make sense." She explained. "And I stopped by to see the goat."

"There is a sentence you don't hear every day." He chuckled. "How is he?"

"Still hanging on and Roman says he is a bit better. However, due to the abuse he has been through he is skittish and may take some time for him to get used to us."

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" Steve asked.

"Ummm, goat talk gets you hot?" she giggled.

"No, but your compassion is so beautiful. That is one of the things I love most about you." He said.

"Well I love everything about you." She smiled. "How was the sessions today?"

"Both were draining. The domestic violence one wasn't as bad as the pedophiles one actually." Steve said.

"I can imagine; no one enjoys hearing about abused children." She sympathized.

"I think the information on the domestic violence one will be good for you to study. You would be great dealing with victims, especially since you know what it is like to be in that position."

"I didn't stay and let it happen. I left Joe the first time." She countered.

"Still, you know the emotions it can stir up." Steve told her.

"You're right there. So what sessions are you taking tomorrow?" she asked.

"Two sessions about cybercrime." He told her. "How are things at home?"

"Everything is fine. Just been going to work, taking care of the animals and annoying Seth." She laughed.

"So everything is normal." Steve chuckled.

"How about there? Met any interesting guys?"

"A few nice guys. Luckily they booked us at a regular hotel so none of that overly fancy stuff this time."

"Does this mean that you aren't getting pedicures with other detectives?" she giggled again.

"Well I might invite that lady detective from Minneapolis to go for a massage." He joked.

"You do that and I am telling Naomi." She said.

"Really? Why not Seth or John?" Steve laughed.

"You know full well that when Naomi is pissed off she is much scarier than Seth and John!" she laughed.

"Okay, okay. Besides, I am looking forward to coming home to you."

"Me too. House seems so empty without you. And Wonder knows you aren't here. He snuck up on your side of the bed last night." She smiled. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. But I will be home in a few days. Just don't kill Seth before I get there."

"No promises, but if the Cubs keep losing, I may annoy him to death." She laughed.

"Nah, he'll survive and John will have a few more gray hairs." Steve yawned.

"You're tired. I will let you get some sleep." She said. "Call me in the morning before you go to your first session?"

"I will. You get some rest too." Steve said.

"I love you."

"Love you too." He said and she smiled as she hung up.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Once again a huge thank you to everyone reading and reviewing this story. The feedback just has me so inspired and motivated. You guys are just so awesome. Jcott3 (Jessica Fletcher, there is a name I haven't heard in a long time. And yes I agree about men preferring to be the hunter. And bonus points for recalling the infamous plate spill, LOL.) Batistasprincess (Yay, someone else made the Liam Neeson connection. And I am glad you are catching on that Bray is more than a random weird guy.) xXxShonxXx (Oh things are about to get crazy, hang in there.) Debwood-1999 (Oh don't worry, more Karen and Kurt will be forthcoming.) reikat (Actually you helped me catch my mistake so I went back and fixed the color problem. Thanks for that. And I hope you enjoyed Roman being in this chapter. I hope you are right and the WWE plays things right to get him back in good with the fans. Right now the only Roman fans in my group of friends are females. No wonder, he is gorgeous. LOL) carlyrosanna1983 (Oh Summer knows better than to try anything with Steve now.)_


	5. Park Creepers

July 10th, 1200 Hours

"So Seth, ready for today's game?" Trina giggled.

"If you ask me that one more time." Seth looked over at her from his desk.

"The Cubs have lost how many straight now? But the best…the Pirates just knocking the crap out of Arietta. That might've been better than sex." Trina laughed.

"I am telling Steve you said that." Seth glared.

"Go ahead, he'll be home tomorrow." She laughed more.

"Keep laughing, I am telling you, after the all-star break they will get hot again." Seth insisted.

"Maybe it's my new little goat that is causing their bad luck." Trina said.

"How is the new goat anyway?" Seth asked.

"Doing better. Roman called me last night and said that he has managed to stand but can't quit figure out walking with his missing leg yet. I might get to bring him home soon." She smiled.

"Oh great, to Steve and Trina Borden, a 30 pound goat!" Seth rolled his eyes.

"Behave or you will be as nutless as Daniel and Def Leppard." Trina said.

"You never told me why you didn't like the Dream Team." Seth remembered.

"You want my list of reasons?" she asked.

"Why are you two always into something?" John walked in from a routine patrol.

"It's what we do." Seth said.

"Reason one, it was completely unfair to every other team in the Olympics that year. They took these professional athletes, the best professionals at that, and sent them out there against amateurs? Kids? No other team had a fair shot. It was overkill." Trina started.

"A lot of professionals play in the Olympics now." Seth countered.

"Key word 'now' not so much then." She said. "Reason two, the choosing of the Dream Team was not fair. If it was really to be a best of the NBA at that time, you know full well Isiah Thomas from the Pistons would've been on that team. But nooooooo, bully Michael Jordan didn't like Thomas and told the US Olympic committee that he wouldn't play on the team if they put Thomas on the roster…so like a bunch of idiots they give into the demands of Jordan and kept Thomas off the team."

"Did you just call Michael Jordan a bully?" Seth was wide-eyed.

"Oh where have you been? Am I the only one with enough coconuts to call him out?" she insisted.

"Does Steve know you have coconuts?" Seth laughed.

"I'm serious. Yeah, he was talented, great, won championships blah blah blah. But he is a bully. Look at the dreadful comments he made about the Pistons in the early 90's. Look at how he treated Jerry Krause who built those championship Bulls teams. And then using your big name to keep a deserving player out of the Olympics!"

"Okay, I can agree Thomas should've been on the team. Jordan was wrong to keep him off. But come on, look at the statement the Dream Team made." Seth tried.

"What statement is that? 'We're going to dominate a bunch of kids'? The year they should've sent a professional team with the best of the best from the NBA would've been the 1976 Olympics after the way the US team got screwed in basketball in the 1972 games. 76 would've been the year to say 'You screwed us, now we're gonna wipe the floor with everyone and there is nothing you commies can do about it'. But 1992…what was the point?" Trina insisted.

"You know, I liked the Dream Team but she has a few good points." John said.

"You're taking her side?" Seth asked.

"What side? You two are fussing about a team that played twenty five years ago!" John shook his head.

Jerry walked in. "I need you three to get out to the Blackwater Falls Park."

"What's going on?" Seth asked.

"Just got a call from the park rangers out there. They have been getting some complaints from females about some guys following them and staring. Go check it out." Jerry said.

"We're on it." John said as they gathered their things.

1300 Hours

The three Davis officers pulled up outside the ranger station at the park. They climbed out of the SUV and walked inside the station. Mick Foley and Tommy Rich were inside waiting for them.

"Good afternoon gentlemen, you called for us?" Seth asked.

"Yes, glad that you are here. We have had complaints from four girls today. They have all said that two men have stared at them, made them feel uneasy and two ladies thought they were being followed." Foley answered.

"Have any of your staff spoken to these men?" Trina asked.

"No, but we have checked the park and we can't find anyone fitting their description. We think they have left. We also got statements from each of the girls, one of which is still here in the park." Rich told them.

"We'll look over the reports. Can you take Trina where the girl still here is? Do you know where she is?" John asked.

"She said she would be at one of the picnic pavilion with a few friends. She should still be there." Foley answered. "Ask for Becky Lynch, that is her name."

"I'll call Slater to drive you out there." Rich said.

Trina waited patiently for Heath Slater to come by for her. After a few minutes, Slater pulled up in one of the park vehicles and she climbed in beside him.

"It's the new Mrs. Detective." Heath laughed.

"Nice to see you too." She chuckled. "How have things been with you?"

"Not bad, just a busy time of year." Heath shrugged.

Heath pulled up by one of the picnic pavilions. Trina could see several young people milling around and they had a grill cooking food.

"Wait here for me." Trina told Slater.

She climbed out of the vehicle and walked up to the pavilion. Before she could ask for anyone a young girl with orange hair hurried over to her.

"Did you find out who those guys following me were?" she asked.

"Are you Becky Lynch?" Trina asked.

"Yes, did you figure out who they were?" she asked again.

"We're working on it. I need to talk to you for a few minutes." Trina said.

"Um, okay. What can I do for you?" Becky asked.

"You reported that two men were bothering you? Explain to me exactly what happened."

"I had decided to walk in the park and see some stuff before we had lunch. I headed down to the falls. I spotted these two guys, big bald guys. I didn't think much of it, this place is full of people. But then I noticed that they seemed to be everywhere I was and…watching me. Every time I would glance at them they would look away but sure enough a few seconds later they would be looking at me again." She explained.

"And this happened near the falls? How long do you think they followed you?" she prodded.

"Yeah I walked down to the falls and hung out for a while. I would say they were following me for about 30 minutes or so. They took off when I flagged down one of the rangers." She answered.

"Did they speak to you at all?"

"No, I didn't see them talk to anyone actually except each other." She shrugged.

"You said they were big guys and bald. Big how? Overweight? Muscular? Tall?" Trina began writing.

"Muscular, one was about a head taller than the other. He was really tall. And they both had facial hair." Becky added.

"Facial hair like goatees? Full beards?" Trina asked.

"The taller one had a goatee, the other had a short beard but it was full." She answered.

"Any other distinguishing marks? Scars? Piercings?"

"I saw tattoos on their arms but I couldn't tell what they were." Becky answered.

"And how were they dressed?' Trina asked.

"Jeans and shirts, sneakers. Nothing special." She shrugged.

"Did you see them get into or out of a vehicle?" Trina asked.

"No, the whole time I saw them they were on foot." She said.

"Okay and what exactly about them made you uneasy? Could they have just been too shy to approach you?" Trina prodded more.

"I don't think so. It was just creepy. If they wanted to flirt or something….I would think they would smile or wave or something." Becky insisted.

"How old did they appear to be?" Trina asked.

"I dunno, 30's maybe? I am not good with ages." She said.

"Have you ever seen them before?" she asked.

"I don't think so." She shook her head.

"Okay Becky. I am going to leave you my card. If you think of anything else, call me. If you see them again, alert a park ranger and call me immediately. And for the rest of the day until you are out of the park, stay with people. Even if you have to use the restroom, take a friend or two with you." Trina instructed her.

"Were they dangerous?" Becky asked.

"We don't know. It could've been socially awkward guys or guys with bad intentions. Either way, it is better to be safe." Trina said firmly.

"Okay, but am I safe now?"

"As long as you stay with other people you will be." Trina assured her.

Becky nodded and went back to rejoin her friends. Trina sighed, wondering what was going on as she turned and walked back to where Slater was waiting for her.

1545 Hours

"Well that was frustrating and we got nowhere." John complained as they walked back into the Davis station.

"We searched the whole park and didn't see those two guys that were freaking out the girls." Seth frowned.

"My guess is they realized the rangers would call the police and took off." Trina sighed.

"Do you think this is related to Sasha Banks' case?" Seth offered.

"Could be, it would've helped if someone had spotted what vehicle they had." Trina frowned.

"Think we got a couple of tourists that are trying to abduct girls?" John offered.

"Possibly, or it could be two completely unrelated events. We have so little to go on in both cases." Trina frowned.

"Has Dolph had any luck processing Sasha's clothing?" Seth asked.

"I talked to him yesterday. He said that he took some dirt and pollen samples from her clothing but considering that she had been out hiking prior to her abduction, it is unlikely that it will do any good." Trina sighed.

"Terrific, we have an attempted abduction, animal mutilation, and now possible stalker case and no leads on any of them." John groaned.

"Could be worse, Karen could be acting foolish. I am sure she will be starting up any minute now that Kurt and his new wife are home from Florida." Seth said.

"So much for a peaceful summer." Trina frowned.

"Let's just hope whoever these guys are, they move on." John said.

"I miss the days when our biggest problem was a drunken brawl at Almost Heaven." Trina said.

"Sadly the real world is starting to move in here." John sighed.

The door jingled and they all looked up to see Steve walk in.

"Steve!" Trina yelled and practically leapt across the room and jumped on him.

"Oh great it is a Lifetime movie again." Seth shook his head.

"I missed you. What are you doing here? I thought you were coming home tomorrow?" she gushed and kissed him.

"He can't answer you like that!" Seth laughed.

Steve chuckled. "I decided to come home early and surprise you."

"I am so glad you did." She kissed him again.

"Didn't she see him just a few days ago? She is carrying on like he's been off to war for a year." Seth said.

"Newlyweds, what do you expect?" John shrugged.

"Maybe now that Steve is home, Trina will shut up about the Cubs' slump." Seth said.

"Don't count on it!" Trina pulled back from Steve.

Steve laughed and set Trina's feet back on the floor. "Glad to see you didn't kill him while I was gone."

"Those two couldn't live without each other. They wouldn't have anyone to argue with." John laughed. "How was DC?"

"I attended five sessions and managed to hit a few of the attractions during my free time. I brought back a lot of stuff for all the officers in the county." Steve said.

"And now you have a new goat." Seth snickered.

"And he must be special because the Cubs have been tanking bad. You should've seen that game last night! Josh Bell from the Pirates hit a grand slam!" Trina smirked.

"Steve, take her home. You are newlyweds, I am sure you can find some way to shut her up!" Seth said.

"Did I mention it was only Bell's second major league at-bat? He was only called up from the minors on Friday!" Trina gloated.

"You realize if the Cubs keep losing she is gonna buy, adopt and babysit every goat in the state." Seth rolled his eyes.

"It'd be worth it. Watching them crumble the past few days has been utter bliss." She smiled.

"Wait and see what you say when they pull out of this slump." Seth said.

"How much longer you have to be on duty?" Steve asked.

"Take her home now. I need the peace and quiet." Seth insisted.

"Oh funny. Maybe I can dig up footage of the 2003 NLCS." She said.

John laughed. "Go on home and spend some time with Steve. We'll cover for you here. I doubt much else is gonna happen today."

"You sure? I don't wanna leave you short handed." She said.

"Oh go on. Your shift is almost over anyway. Besides, I am sure you and Steve have things to do." Seth winked.

"Thanks guys. I'll be in tomorrow at normal time." She began gathering up her things.

"Steve, make sure she can still walk." Seth laughed.

"Please stop believing! And wake up from your dreaming!" Trina began singing to the tune of the chorus of 'Don't Stop Believing'. "Loveable losers, they're the Cubs."

"Where do you find these insane songs?" Seth groaned.

"Internet, it isn't hard. Lots of people hate the Cubs." She laughed.

"Come along songbird. I bought you a few things in DC." Steve chuckled. "See you guys tomorrow."

"I bet Steve can make you hit those high notes." Seth called after them, making Steve chuckle again.

1900 Hours

Trina slowly woke up on the couch and realized she was alone. She looked around for Steve but didn't see him anywhere. She noticed the blanket from the back of the couch had been laid over her so she knew Steve had covered her before he left. She sat up and looked around at their clothes scattered on the floor. She grabbed up Steve's shirt and pulled it on.

She walked into the kitchen and saw Steve sitting on the back porch talking on the phone. She stepped out on the porch and noticed he was dressed in just his jeans. He must've pulled them on before walking out here. She sat down on the swing beside Steve as he hung up.

"I woke up alone." She curled against him.

"My phone rang and I didn't want to wake you so I answered it and quietly came out here." He kissed her forehead.

"Anything important?" she asked.

"Just Garrett calling to talk. He sounds like he misses me."

"Maybe we can figure out a way for you two to get together soon. I know you miss them too." She said.

"You came out here without panties?" Steve suddenly noticed.

"Your shirt is long. And who is gonna see? I live on a farm and we're on the back porch!" She laughed. "And Daniel is nutless, he no longer has interest in girls."

"I love the crazy way you put things." He chuckled. "I am so glad to be home. It's no fun being away from my new wife."

"Yeah, I missed you too. And thank you for being understanding about the new goat."

Steve laughed out loud. "I was hardly surprised. Okay I was shocked at how you came into contact with him, but….I know that there will be lots of strays, animals and who knows what else around this farm."

"And I love you for accepting it. Being a city guy from California, I am sure you never pictured yourself living with goats, cats, and a coydog." She leaned up and kissed him.

"Are you kidding? I love my life here. It is certainly never boring."

"When do you have to go out of town again?" Trina asked.

"In about a month. Flair will be sending me to Philadelphia." He said.

"We need to ride the four-wheeler more. We've been so busy with the wedding, moving you in, and work that we haven't used it much."

"You promise to make me another of those blackberry cobblers?"

"Just hide it from Seth. He is such a foodie sometimes." She laughed. "You hungry? When was the last time you ate?"

"I grabbed a quick lunch on the drive back." He shrugged.

"Come on, I will fix you some dinner. Gotta keep your strength up." She giggled and stood up.

"More of you in the kitchen in next to nothing." Steve shook his head fondly.

"Of course, you know me." She winked and hurried into the kitchen.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _You guys are so great! Reviews and feedback helping me stay motivated and inspired. I am so thankful for each one of you! All feedback is welcome and appreciated. Paisley2 (Seth seems to be gaining a lot of fans lately. Even one of the guys at work is coming around to the Rollins side. And don't worry, Bray won't be ignored totally.) reikat (I am against animal abuse as well (I think most normal people are.) but it is important to the story. Glad you enjoyed the Roman in last chapter. And the figure sounds cute. One of my friends bought me a Sheamus one. LOL) jcott3 (Don't worry, eventually everything will make sense. I am anxious to see if anyone guesses what is going on. And I didn't even realize Taylor Swift did a show with Def Leppard until you pointed it out. LOL) Batistasprincess (My cats are always indoors but that is a great message to spread around. In college I knew a girl that was a Wiccan wannabe, but I never took her seriously as she wanted to be a lot of things. A nun, then a lesbian, then a sub, then a Mormon…) Carlyrosanna83 (He will be in the story no worries.)_


	6. Strange Evening

July 13th, 2030 Hours

Trina stepped out onto the back porch and saw Steve and the twins working on the new barn. She was glad they had volunteered to help Steve with the new barn. Even Seth and John had been over a few times to help. She walked over to the goathouse and checked the new fencing Steve had put up for when Def Leppard came home. They needed to be sure the fence would hold a small goat that could sneak out easier than Daniel could.

Daniel came over to greet her. She patted his head, chuckling when he tried to chew on her shirt.

"Trina, could you bring us something to drink? We're about ready to take a break." Steve yelled over to her.

"Sure thing, be back soon." She chuckled and hurried into the house.

She had just walked into the kitchen and the phone began ringing.

"Hello?"

"Trina, sorry to bother you at home. Can you come in for a few hours? We just got a call from some campers, they are freaking out saying someone is stalking them in the woods or something." Seth explained on the other end.

"Sure, do you want me to bring Steve?"

"Nah, probably just some drunk kids or a prank but I'm gonna need some help." Seth said.

"Okay, I will meet you as soon as I can. Text me their location." She hung up.

She hurried to the door. "Steve, I got a call, I am going in for a few hours." She yelled and then ran upstairs to change.

She pulled out a clean uniform and began changing her clothes. She heard Steve walk in the bedroom.

"Everything okay? Do I need to go with you?" Steve asked.

"Seth doesn't think so. Some campers think they are being stalked. Could be anything from drunk and confused…to watched too many of those 'Wrong Turn' movies." Trina said. "If we need you, we will call for sure."

"Okay, be careful. Call me if you are going to be very late." He said.

"I will." She quickly kissed him. "I love you."

"Love you too." He said as he watched her hurry down the stairs.

She ran out of the house and jumped in her Jeep. She started the Jeep and sped out of the driveway and onto the highway. She checked her phone and found that Seth sent that the campers were camping near the Blackwater River.

As she pulled up behind the department vehicle that Seth had driven, she threw her Jeep into park and jumped out. She grabbed her flashlight as it was getting dark and began walking into the woods. She wasn't sure exactly which way the campers had set up so she walked cautiously and kept her eyes open.

"Davis PD!" she called out.

"Trina over here!" she heard from a distance. "Walk towards the river."

She walked towards the voice in the direction of the river. Finally, she came out to a small clearing not far from the riverbanks. She could see two tents set up and a small fire pit. She noticed Seth standing with four young people, apparently teenagers.

"This is another of our officers, she is with me. It's okay." Seth told them.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Trina asked as she walked up to them.

"They said they have been camping here for a few nights without any problems. But tonight as they began settling in for the night, they heard footsteps around the camp but no one appeared. And they noticed their stuff looks as if it has been rifled through. When one of the girls went off on her own to urinate, she says she saw a man watching her." Seth caught her up.

"Okay kids, let's just take this one step at a time. Is it possible the footsteps you heard were from some hikers?" Trina asked.

"We thought that too, we even called out thinking they would say hello or whatever. But every time we would call out, the footsteps would stop." One of the boys explained.

"Maybe some local kids trying to scare you, pull a prank?" she tried again.

"The guy I saw didn't look like a kid. He was grown." One of the girls said.

"Did he approach you at all? Did he say anything?" Seth asked.

"I had gone off a bit to pee alone. Well I thought I heard footsteps so I stopped and looked around, I didn't see anyone. I squatted to…you know and when I stood back up I saw him trying to duck behind a tree. I began screaming and ran back to camp." The girl was visibly shaken.

"And then when we went to get our phones to call the police, we noticed our stuff had been gone through. Our wallets were left open and some clothes were lying out." The other boy explained.

"Was anything stolen? Money? Credit cards?" Seth asked.

"No, everything was in my wallet but someone had taken it out of my bag and left it on my sleeping bag." He shrugged.

"What did the guy you saw look like?" Trina asked.

"He was kinda chunky and had a goatee." She said. "I couldn't see much else."

"Most likely it was someone who wanted to rob you. Chances are you came back to camp and interrupted him. He must've decided to hang around and try again when you were asleep but got spotted." Seth told them.

"Are we safe?" the second girl asked.

"If I were you I would pack up and stay somewhere else tonight. Go to the motel by the park. Tell the manager Ricky Morton that Seth and Trina sent you. He'll give you a good deal." Trina told them. "You never know when this person might come back."

"Did you hear any vehicles?" Seth asked.

They all shook their heads no.

"Okay, we'll make a report in case anything else happens but go to the motel like Officer Conley-Borden said." Seth told them.

Seth and Trina walked off to the side while the teenagers began breaking down their camp.

"What do you think?" Seth whispered.

"Most likely just like we said, someone trying to rob them. Or maybe the guy was some kind of perv and had been going through their things and then watching them for a sexual kick." Trina sighed.

"Well let's get these kids safely out of here and back to the station." Seth said. "Things around here are getting so weird."

2145 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk, typing up the report about the campers that were spooked in the woods. Seth was in the break room watching TV, getting ready to settle in for the night. She was in a hurry, wanting to finish her report and get home to her husband. She heard the phone ring and Seth yelled he would get it.

Her cell phone then rang. She looked and saw Steve's number on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Just calling to check on you, everything okay?" Steve asked.

"Oh yeah, it was most likely someone wanting to rob some teenage campers." She said. "I am typing up my report now and then I should be…"

"Trina, Randy needs us up at the bar." Seth said.

"Never mind, guess I am needed at Almost Heaven. I better get going." She said.

"Be careful. Love you."

"Love you too." She hung up and turned to Seth. "What's going on up at the bar?"

"Not sure, Randy said something about a guy trying to proposition some of the female patrons." Seth said as they walked out of the station.

"How is that anything new for a bar?" she was confused.

"He said it spooked some of the girls and when he confronted the guy, he took off." Seth said.

"Is it me or are we living in the Twilight Zone? Any minute I expect to see Rod Serling come around the corner." Trina groaned.

"I don't know. Maybe this summer we are getting some strange tourists." Seth sighed as they walked up the street.

They walked into the front door of Almost Heaven and looked around for Randy. They spotted him behind the bar and he motioned them over. They noticed that the bar was full of people, drinking, dancing and being loud.

"Hey Randy, what is going on?" Seth asked.

"Let's talk in the back." Randy said.

They followed him through the bar to the back where his office was located.

"What happened here tonight?" Trina asked.

"A few girls complained that a guy was making them strange offers." Randy said.

"Strange offers?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"He was asking them if they ever did sex videos, masturbate on webcams, or have sex for money." Randy explained.

"Could it have been a guy that was just obnoxious?" Trina asked.

"He also offered them money to do sex videos and tried talking them into leaving with him." Randy said.

"This night just keeps getting weirder." Trina sighed.

"Are any of the girls still here?" Seth asked.

"One is, two others left because he freaked them out so bad. When the third girl complained, I had enough and decided to confront him. I don't allow that kind of shit in my bar." Randy said.

"Did you know the guy?" Seth asked.

"No, I have never seen him before. And as soon as I approached him about his actions, he took off out the door." Randy said. "I decided to call you guys. Who knows what kind of sick game that guy was playing?"

"Okay, Seth get a statement from Randy. I will go talk to the girl that is still here. Which one is she?" Trina asked.

"She is sitting at the bar, wearing a Cleveland Browns jersey." Randy said.

Trina nodded and walked out of the office. She walked back out to the bar and found the girl seated where Randy said she would be.

"Excuse me miss?" she asked. The girl turned and looked at her. "I am Officer Trina Conley-Borden, Davis Police. Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"About that creep? Look I didn't accept any money and reported him to management." She said.

"You are not in any trouble. I would just like to talk about what happened and get some information. You did the right thing reporting him." Trina assured her.

"Yeah sure, let's go to a booth. No need for everyone to hear my business." The girl said and grabbing her drink walked across the room to a booth.

Trina followed and sat down across from her. "Now, can I have your name?"

"Joseann, call me JoJo." She answered.

"Okay JoJo. I need to know exactly how this guy approached you and what he said. And don't worry about shocking me or saying anything inappropriate, I have heard it all while on the job over the years." Trina assured her.

"I had come in to relax. I been out at the Canaan Valley taking pictures for one of my photography classes. I decided to stop here and have a drink, been a long day. I got my drink and was sitting at a table watching the Olympic trials on the TV over the bar. Suddenly this guy sits down." JoJo explained.

"Go on."

"I had never seen him before. I figured he would open with some lame pick up line. Instead this guy starts telling me I am pretty and he bets I could make lots of money making videos. At first I was so stunned I couldn't say anything. Finally, I muttered a 'What?'. He goes on to tell me that he knows a guy that pays girls to have sex or masturbate on webcams." JoJo looked angry. "I told him I was not interested and to move on. He didn't want to take no for an answer. He offered me five hundred dollars. He said the guy would wear a condom and they would hide my face."

"Is that when you approached the bar staff?" Trina asked.

"Yes, that guy…the tall one with tattoos…when I told him what this asshole was saying he went to talk to him but the guy ran out." She answered.

"Can you give me a description of the guy? Did he give a name?" Trina asked.

"He never gave a name. But I can tell you what he looked like. Average height, about six feet tall. Kinda chubby. Nerdy haircut, brown hair. Facial hair, goatee neatly trimmed. Round face, chipmunk cheeks." JoJo said.

"Okay, JoJo… this is my card. It has the number of the Davis station on it. If you think of anything else or if you ever see this guy again, give us a call." Trina said.

"I doubt I will see this fool again. I go to school at WVU." JoJo said.

"Do you want me to walk you to your car?" Trina offered.

"Yeah, just in case he is still hanging around in the parking lot." JoJo stood up.

Trina walked with JoJo out of the bar and to the parking lot. She walked around the car and checked the backseat before she let JoJo get in.

"Thanks officer." JoJo said as she started her car.

"You be safe." Trina said and watched her drive off.

She walked back towards the bar and was met by Seth walking out. He was shaking his head.

"So what do you think?" Seth asked.

"The guy described sounds similar to the guy the campers described." Trina said.

"You think that he came here after leaving the camp site?" Seth asked.

"Did Randy give you a time the guy came in?" she asked.

"No, he said that the place has been so busy tonight that he didn't even notice the guy until the first girl complained. At first he brushed it off as a guy being a jerk or bad flirting." Seth said as they began walking back to the station.

"I think this guy is probably looking to make some low budget porn, maybe even some voyeur videos. I bet that is why he was hanging in the woods…..film the girls changing, fooling around with the guys, bathing, going to the bathroom etc. When that didn't work he stopped at the bar looking for some girls to make some videos but with no luck." Trina explained her theory.

"Some girls do go for that kind of thing and feel flattered to be asked." Seth sighed.

"Whatever he was doing, I am glad Randy stepped in." she said.

"You know Randy, he has a real protective streak and no time for bullshit." Seth said as they walked into the station.

They were startled to see Steve standing there waiting for them.

"Steve, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I decided I better come see what was going on. And I was….I mean I know you can…" Steve couldn't find words.

"He was worried, oh that is so cute." Seth chuckled.

"Baby, I am fine. I had Seth with me and I can take care of myself." She said.

"I know. And I know you are both great officers. I have just never been one to sit still and I wanted to be here in case you needed me." Steve said.

"Aren't you just adorable?" Trina hugged him.

"I can't wait for you two to get out of this honeymoon phase." Seth shook his head.

"You'll be waiting years!" Trina told him.

"So catch me up on what is going on." Steve said.

"Here you can read my report from the camp site creeper while I type up the one on this John Holmes wannabe from Almost Heaven." Trina handed him a file.

"How do you know about John Holmes?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"The Wonderland murders of course, not like I am watching his videos." She laughed. "Who needs them, I got you."

2200 Hours

"So in the past several days we have an attempted kidnapping, slaughtered animals, creepy guys at the park, a peeper at a campsite and someone offering money for sex videos at Almost Heaven." Seth sighed as he looked over their paperwork.

"I feel like I am in a bad slasher movie. Like any minute Jason Vorhees is going to jump out from behind a corner." Trina frowned.

"Don't worry, you are married now. He only kills people that engage in premarital sex." Seth winked.

"That is comforting." She rolled her eyes. "Nothing is adding up."

"My guess is these events aren't related. None of them seem to show a pattern." Steve said.

"You may be right. But something just isn't right." She frowned again.

"Just don't let it eat at you. There is nothing else we can do right now." Steve assured her.

"Why don't you go on home? You already stayed longer than you needed to." Seth said.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, anything else happens tonight, I will handle it or call Layfield." Seth insisted.

"Okay then, let's head home. I am tired and getting cranky." Trina said.

"I will see you guys in the morning." Seth told them.

"Come on, we both need some sleep." Steve wrapped an arm around Trina.

Trina walked out of the station with Steve and decided to just ride home with him and leave her Jeep at the station. She climbed in his truck and settled back as he began driving towards the farm.

"You okay?" Steve asked her.

"Yeah, I am just thinking about what Bray Wyatt has been saying." Trina said.

"Really? But he never makes any sense."

"I know, but he did say something dark is coming. Something that feeds the hearts of evil." She remembered.

"That could be anything from a flood to a murderer." Steve shrugged. "I am not even sure what 'feeds the hearts of evil' means."

"Me neither, but I don't like the sounds of it." She said.

"You need a good night of rest." Steve took her hand. "And you should have lunch with Naomi tomorrow. You need some girl time away from work."

"You may be right. Lately the only girl time I have had is with Seth talking about the Cubs' slump." Trina chuckled.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Love the reviews, you are awesome. Seriously it keeps me so inspired and excited to write. I can't thank you enough. Paisley2 (Wow, a part I barely paid much mind to and it captured your attention. Although by 1992 the eastern bloc was gone, I know all too well about their athletes. Surprisingly that was one reason Team Foxcatcher came along which Kurt Angle has some connections to.) Nixystixz (I am glad you are enjoying it. I agree there are not enough Sting stories out there.) jcott3 (Yuck, don't mention Vick. He still me nauseous. But you have interesting theories. And yes the soviets did have tactics to ensure they dominated the Olympics, but by 1992, that was over. Of course, I love underdog stories like the Miracle on Ice. I need to watch this Cross-roads episode. It sounds interesting.) Batistasprincess (Everyone is jumping on the Bullet Club bandwagon. I am interested to see what theories develop over time.) Debwood-1999 (Another interesting theory being thrown out there. I am anxious to see what else comes to readers' minds.) reikat (Another vote for Anderson and Gallows. And even if you think you aren't good at mysteries, I enjoy hearing theories.) theDarkRyder (Still another vote for the Bullet Club. Don't worry Seth has a lot coming in this story.)_


	7. Missing Person

July 15th, 0800 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis Station with Trina, dropping her off at work for the day. They found Seth watching TV in the break room. The chief was talking on the phone in his office.

"You okay? You didn't eat much breakfast." Steve asked her.

"Oh I am fine. I guess I am just a little tired. My stomach is a little unsettled." She shrugged as she picked up a newspaper left on her desk.

"Hey Seth, how was last night?" Steve asked as Seth walked out to join them.

"Pretty quiet actually." Seth sat down.

"That's good. Hopefully it stays quiet around here." Steve smiled. "Trina, I will…. What is wrong?" he noticed her face.

"Seth look at this." Trina said.

Seth walked over and looked over her shoulder at the newspaper she was holding. He frowned. "That's the guy from the club we went undercover at."

"What are you guys talking about?" Steve asked.

"Says here his name is Mike Mizanin. He was the body pulled out of the Kanawha River a few weeks back. It took this long to identify him." Trina read.

"His sub's name was Alex." Seth remembered.

"Yeah, but it was a secret affair. Mike was married." Trina looked up at him.

"How do you know that?" Seth asked.

"Alex told me when he was distracting me from that dreadful medical scene." She explained.

"What the hell went on inside that club?" Steve demanded.

"Relax baby, no one was hurting me. Seth stayed right with me and the most we did was some cuddling. But while we were in the club, we met this guy. He had a sub and when one of the scenes bothered me, his sub helped distract me by talking to me." Trina said.

"I heard they found a body, but I never dreamed it was someone we had seen." Seth picked up the paper.

"According to what has been released, the body was horribly mutilated. I wonder what he got into?" she asked.

"Who knows? It might not even be related to the bondage community. Anyways, it is in the hands of the Charleston police." Seth said.

"Go on home, you look exhausted." Trina told him.

"Yeah, I am gonna go home and dream of the Cubs getting out of this slump when the season resumes tomorrow." Seth smirked.

"That is because that is only in your dreams." Trina said.

"You just wait, they are gonna win 110 games this season." Seth insisted.

"With the high prices they are paying for a championship they should win 135 games this season. But even that doesn't mean squat. Remember the year the Mariners won 114 games and still got eliminated from the play-offs?" Trina said.

"You must be feeling better, you are arguing with Seth." Steve chuckled. "I'm headed to Parsons, see you after work." He kissed her forehead.

"Hurry home dear." Seth giggled.

"Hey, you stick to Taylor Swift and her bad pop music." Trina said.

"Haters gonna hate, hate, hate." Seth deadpanned.

Steve laughed. "You two behave. Trina, see you tonight."

"Okay, have a good day. Love you." She smiled.

"Love you too." Steve said as he walked out.

"Any news on the Leppard goat?" Seth asked.

"If he continues doing well, Roman is going to let me take him home next week." She smiled.

"Is he warming up to you any?" Seth asked as he gathered his things.

"A little bit. Interacting with the clinic staff and me visiting often….he is still skittish but getting a little better. He is having difficulty learning to walk on three legs." Trina said.

"He will get it figured out. He has you there babying him." Seth said. "I am headed out. See you tonight."

"Get some rest." Trina waved.

July 18th, 0830 Hours

Seth walked into the break room at work and looked at Trina laying with her head on the table.

"I figured you would be all jumping up and down because the Cubs lost last night." Seth told her.

"I don't feel like it right now." She shrugged.

"You don't feel like rubbing in a Cubs loss? Are you sick?" he felt her forehead.

"I just feel quite with it yet this morning. Just wait, I'll be singing an anti-Cubs song soon enough." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I should bring up the Dream Team." Seth snickered.

"This is your new way to annoy me, isn't it?"

"I am still in shock that you don't like them."

"They left my Isiah Thomas off the team unfairly!" she frowned.

"Since when are you such an Isiah Thomas fan?" Seth laughed.

"I just like him the more I remember him when I was growing up." Trina shrugged.

"How is Chandler?" Seth snickered.

"Who?" she looked at him.

"Well, he can't be Richard because Richard and Monica didn't get married over having children. And since you married Steve, I guess that now makes him Chandler." He chuckled.

"You and that stupid show! And for the record Chandler was strange looking. I never did find him attractive. So no Steve can't be Chandler!" she insisted.

"You wanna be Ross and Rachel?" he winked.

"Seth, I will strangle you. Revive you. Strangle you again. Then bury your body under a pile of manure! You know I despise Rachel. If I ever act like her, put me out of my misery. She was like the TV version of Karen Angle!" Trina glared.

"No one is that bad." Seth laughed.

"Let's go down the list. Doesn't want her ex but doesn't want anyone else to have him…check. Rachel ruined Ross' wedding and Karen tried to ruin Kurt's….check. Finds ways to interfere in their ex's new relationships….check." Trina said.

"You two spend way too much time together." John walked in.

"And don't even get me started on Rachel and that whole 'on a break thing'." She insisted.

"Yes, we are all aware of your 500 reasons why she had no right to be mad at Ross." Seth laughed.

"You two are crazy." John grabbed a bottle of water.

"Yeah, you love us." Trina giggled. "You wouldn't want…."

The door to the station opened and they looked up to see a frantic looking man. All three jumped to their feet and hurried out to see what was going on.

"Sir, is everything okay?" Seth asked.

"No, no. My girlfriend is missing." He looked at them, eyes panicked.

"Okay, we need you to calm down. Come on, sit down." John told him.

The young man looked at them with wide eyes but slowly sat down in one of the chairs.

"Now take a deep breath and let's start from the beginning. What is your name?" Trina asked him.

"Jason…..Jason Jordan." He said. "She has been missing since Saturday."

"Okay, Jason you need to slow down. What is your girlfriend's name?" Seth asked as Trina began writing.

"Dana Brooke." Jason sighed with frustration.

"Now tell us what happened. When was the last time you saw her?" John asked.

"We were camping. We didn't want to pay to stay in the park so we camped in the woods. Off the Appalachian Highway." Jason said. "Sometime during the night…Friday night. Dana woke me to tell me she was going to the bathroom. I must've fell back to sleep because when I woke up Saturday morning…she wasn't there. I guess she never came back."

"Did she take anything with her?" Trina asked.

"I looked through our stuff and the only thing missing was her slides and flashlight." Jason said.

"What did you do when you noticed she wasn't in camp?" Seth asked.

"I waited around camp for about 30 minutes until I was sure she hadn't just went somewhere on her own that morning before I woke up. Then I thought that maybe she had gotten lost during the night so I spent most of Saturday hiking the area looking for her." he explained.

"Did you find her or any of her belongings?" John asked.

"No, not a trace." Jason shook his head. "I thought I'd at least find the flashlight or something but nothing."

"Did you two have a fight? Was she upset with you?" Trina asked.

"No, nothing like that. We have been planning this campout for weeks." He insisted.

"Did you check her phone?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, it was left behind at camp. All day yesterday I was calling her friends to see if one of them had heard from her or knew why she might have left. I stayed at camp in case she came back…but nothing." He said.

"Where are you and Ms. Brooke from?" John asked.

"Dayton…I like hiking so I talked her into coming camping with me." Jason explained.

"Do either you or your girlfriend know anyone in the area? Someone she may have had pick her up?" Trina asked.

"No, we've never been here before. And when I checked her phone, she hadn't made any calls or texted anyone." Jason said. "What do I do?"

"You let us handle things. We need some information about your girlfriend." Trina kept writing. "What was she wearing the last time you saw her?"

"Uh, we were sleeping. Shorts and a tank top." Jason said.

"And we need a physical description." John said.

"She's a blonde…long hair. About 5 foot 3 inches or so. Athletic build." He said.

"Do you have a picture of her?" Seth asked.

"On my phone." He said.

"And did you dismantle your campsite?" John asked.

"No, I left everything there except our phones and wallets. I left a note in case she came back and headed here. I didn't know what else to do." He said.

"We'll take things from here. We need a picture of her. You stay here with Lt. Layfield, he will ask some more questions and get her picture out to the rest of the county officers and the park rangers. Officer Rollins and I will head to the campsite and begin looking around and I will call our county detective." Trina told the upset young man. "Seth you mind working over a bit?"

"Used to it, let's go." He told her.

0945 Hours

Seth and Trina had arrived at the campsite and been searching the area ever since. They found the note that Jason had left behind just as he had said. The camp seemed normal and they had not found anything out of the ordinary.

"Do you think this girl just got pissed at her boyfriend and went somewhere?" Seth asked.

"John said he was going to call her family and some of her friends. If she did leave on her own, hopefully she let one of them know." Trina said as she walked the perimeter of the campsite.

"I still can't believe this guy waited this long to contact us." Seth said.

"You suspicious of him?" Trina looked up.

"I don't know yet. But I know if my girlfriend came up missing, I would have been at the station Saturday." Seth said.

"You may have a point, but the campsite is clean. No signs of struggle or blood." Trina observed.

"Do you think if you came up missing that Steve would wait very long before tearing this state upside?" Seth asked.

"Damn right I wouldn't wait long." Steve said as he walked over to join them. "Find anything?"

"No, no sign of struggle. No blood. Nothing out of place." Trina said.

"Layfield called me as I was pulling up. He said he called Dana Brooke's parents and they have not heard from her. They are also insistent that she would never take off and not contact them." Steve said.

"Looks like we have a missing person case." Seth sighed.

"Let's expand the perimeter and see if we find anything." Steve said. "From here to the highway."

The nodded and began searching.

1200 Hours

Trina, Seth and Steve made their way into the Davis station. All three were hot, sweaty and frustrated. They had searched all around the campsite and expanded their perimeter several times but still came up with nothing.

"Any luck out at the campsite?" Jerry asked them.

"Nothing, not so much s discarded gum." Seth sat down in his chair.

"Where is the boyfriend?" Steve asked.

"We let him go and set him up at the local motel until we clear him to leave town." Jerry said.

"What do you think about him?" Trina asked.

"I don't know. He seems genuinely shook up but waiting two whole days to contact anyone?" Layfield frowned.

"We need to know more about their relationship." Trina said. "Maybe when they fight she takes off for a few days and he thought this was normal."

"And we need to find out if they have a history of domestic violence or even fight often with potential for violence." Steve said.

"Let him rest a bit and go interview him in a few hours. In the meantime, call her family again and talk to them. Get their story and compare it to the boyfriend's once you interview him." Jerry said.

"Good idea." Steve said.

"I am starving, how about some lunch?" Trina asked.

"Sure, order us something in." Steve smiled. "No wonder you are hungry, you barely ate any breakfast." Steve said.

"Well my appetite is back in full force. I want Chinese. Some of those lo-mein noodles." Trina said.

"Order some for me too." Steve kissed her forehead.

1500 Hours

Steve and Trina pulled into the motel parking lot, intending to speak with Jason Jordan. They climbed out of the SUV and walked into the office to see which room the young man had been put in. They saw Ricky Morton behind the counter.

"Ricky, good afternoon." Trina smiled at him.

"Trina, I am glad you are here. What is going on with this kid the police put up here?" Ricky asked.

"Is he causing problems?" Steve asked.

"No, nothing like that. But when I went to check on him, he told me his girlfriend was missing. Is something going on?" Ricky asked.

"We can't talk about an ongoing investigation." Trina said.

"But is this something we need to worry about? I have daughters to protect." Ricky said.

"I know you do. I would give you the same advice I would give any parent at any time. Know where your girls are, make sure they have rides with people they know and trust and talk with them about making smart decisions." Trina said.

"Now can you tell us what room you put Mr. Jordan in? We need to speak to him." Steve asked.

"Oh sure, set him up on the first floor. 107 just outside and to the right." Ricky told them.

"Thank you." Steve said and the two of them headed out of the office and walked down towards room 107.

Trina knocked on the door and after a few moments, Jason opened the door. "Officers?"

"Mr. Jordan, we need to speak to you for a few minutes. Can we come in?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, come in." he stepped back and allowed them in. "Have you found Dana?"

"No, we wanted to ask you some more questions." Steve said.

Jason sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at the two officers.

"Tell us about your relationship with Dana." Trina said.

"What do you want to know?" he frowned.

"How long have you been with Dana?" Steve asked.

"Six months or so." Jason said.

"Do you two get along well?" Trina asked.

"What does that mean?" Jason frowned again.

"Do you two fight a lot? Never fight? Are you the jealous type? Is she clingy?" Trina asked.

"What couple doesn't fight? Every now and then we fight but it is nothing serious." Jason insisted.

"And what does your fights usually entail? Screaming? Ignoring each other? Make up quick?" Steve asked.

"Well usually I get pissed off and leave. When I cool down, we sit down and talk." He said.

"Does this happen often?" Steve asked.

"I wouldn't say often. We get along okay. Once in a while she gets on my nerves about one thing or another." Jason snapped. "What is this all about? Dana is missing and you are here asking me about fights? Do you think I did something to her?"

"We have to explore every avenue and when someone comes up missing…those closest to them are the ones we question first." Trina said.

"I didn't do anything to her. I have spent nearly three days wondering what the hell happened to her!" Jason yelled.

"Calm down, like she said, we have to explore every avenue." Steve said.

"This is ridiculous. I am worried sick about her and you guys are here harassing me." Jason glared.

"Did you and Dana ever have fights that turned physical?" Trina asked.

"No. No matter how angry I get I would never hit a woman. That is one reason why I leave when I am upset. I leave before things can get out of hand. Sometimes shit can happen before you know it and I want to make sure I avoid being caught like that." Jason insisted.

"Is this an exclusive relationship?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, neither of us are seeing anyone else." Jason said.

"Have you two had any recent pregnancy scares?" Trina asked.

"What? No! What the hell?" Jason stood up.

"Calm down." Steve told him. "We have to ask the tough questions. We don't mean offense but we do have jobs to do."

"Look, I understand how I could be a suspect. I am the boyfriend, she was with me when she disappeared; I get it. But I didn't do anything to her. I wouldn't hurt anyone. We didn't have any big problems. This was supposed to be a nice weekend trip." Jason nearly yelled.

"Just so you know, we are getting your cell phone records from the phone companies and speak to your friends and families. So if you have anything we should know, any secrets, anything…now is the time to tell us." Steve said.

"It is better to be up front with us. We find something on our own and you tried to hide it, that adds to suspicion." Trina said.

"I have nothing to hide. I am tired, I am worried and I am here on my own without friends or family for support while I go through this." Jason said.

Steve and Trina looked at each other. Steve nodded and Trina sighed.

"That is all the questions we have right now. You can't leave town yet but we will be in contact. Try to get some rest and call your family. It would do you good to talk to them." Trina said.

"If we need anything else, we know where you are. But just a warning, if you leave before we clear you….it doesn't look good and I won't take it well." Steve told him.

The married couple saw themselves out of the room and walked towards the SUV.

"What do you think?" Steve asked.

"For now…I believe him. Dana's family likes him, said only good things about him. They didn't jump with any accusations against him." Trina said. "And I listened close to what Jason said…he never spoke of Dana or their relationship in the past tense. To me, that says he believes she is still alive. If he had killed her and hid her, his language would've slipped up. Especially with us pushing his buttons."

"You have a good point. But we can't write him off just yet. Some people are great actors." Steve cautioned as they climbed in the SUV.

"I haven't written him off. But he isn't setting off warning bells and that scares me worse." She put on her seatbelt and Steve looked over at her. "It means someone else took this girl and we might have a mess on our hands."

1730 Hours

Jerry walked out to where his team was working while shaking his head. "I just spoke to the staff at Canaan Valley Resort and at Blackwater Falls Park. They haven't found anything on their grounds related to Dana Brooke."

"Do you think whoever was spying on those campers last week could be involved?" Trina asked.

"Anything is possible." Jerry sighed.

"Nothing we have dealt with in the past three weeks makes any sense. It is like something weird is happening….but what?" Seth asked.

"I don't know. But I don't think we're gonna get much more done today. Why don't you guys head on home. You have had a long day and everyone is tired. I'll handle things around here." Jerry said.

"Are you sure? You've had a busy day too." Trina said.

"I will be…."

"Chief I want a transfer. I don't care to where!" Layfield walked in looking ready to kill.

"Oh dear, what did Karen do now?" Seth asked.

"She went to the elementary school today….offices are open during the summer. She tries to fix the kids' records banning their new step-mom from being listed as authorized to pick up the children or be contacted as a parent for school related stuff." John groaned as he sat down.

"That doesn't even make sense. Kurt has joint-custody. Half of these kids' lives they will be living with their step-mom." Trina frowned.

"Exactly. So Nowinski decides to call Kurt and just discuss any options that he and Karen had discussed for the children when school started again. The minute Kurt hears Karen is at the school trying to mess with the kids' records, he leaves work and arrives at the school. Karen flips out upon his arrival." John groaned. "Meanwhile, Missy Hyatt is getting all the details like a freaking reporter."

"How did you get called out there?" Seth asked.

"Well, apparently Chris tried sitting down with Kurt, Karen and the school counselor to discuss what would be best for the children and legal. Turns out Kurt wanted his new wife listed as an emergency contact in case he or Karen could not be contacted, authorized to pick the children up from school and authorized to handle any emergencies that might come up." John sighed.

"Well that makes good sense." Jerry said.

"Doesn't it? Karen insists she doesn't want the step-mom allowed to do anything. Chris explained to Karen that with this agreement, the step-mom would not be the one contacted for conferences or anything. And further explained that most families list extra emergency contacts such as grandparents, step-family etc to ensure that in case of the worst, they have multiple options. But Karen wouldn't hear of it. Well when Nowinski informed her he had no legal basis to not allow Kurt's wife to be an emergency contact or to pick the children up, Karen went into one of her flying rages. I get called…same shit, different day." John said.

"So what ended up happening?" Seth asked.

"I managed to get Karen to leave and Kurt contacted his attorney to see what his legal options were." John groaned.

"Seth, you should type up a screen play of this stuff while you are on nightshift. This is more insane than anything that can be made up." Trina said.

"I don't get it. I thought with Kurt being married now, Karen would admit defeat and move on." John rubbed his eyes.

"Oh no, she is determined to drive a wedge between them. She won't quit until they either split up or the kids hit middle-age, whichever comes first." Trina said.

Steve walked in. He had arrived at the Davis station after going to Parsons to catch his team and the sheriff up on the Dana Brooke case.

"Steve, you have a new wife that is now the step-mother to your children. Thank you for not driving us crazy fighting about the kids." Seth chuckled.

"My step-children are grown. It is very different when you have small children." Trina countered.

"Let me guess, Karen Angle is up to something else?" Steve laughed.

"How did you guess?" John rolled his eyes.

Steve laughed again. "You about ready to go? The twins are coming to work on the barn again tonight."

"Yeah, the chief just sent us home." Trina smiled. "And just think John, when school starts…Karen is bound to kick things up a notch."

"That's why I want a transfer." John said.

"Oh you'd never leave us. You've been here too long and you love us." Seth chuckled.

"Yeah, where else would you have two grown kids like Seth and Trina?" Steve chuckled.

"Did you know your wife hates Michael Jordan? You lay down at night with a woman who doesn't love the best there ever was." Seth looked at Steve.

"You back on that…..tell you what. Watch the ESPN special on Jerry Krause. You will come out looking at things differently. Even Magic Johnson himself admitted that Jordan used his status to keep Isiah Thomas off the Dream Team." Trina said. "Besides, shouldn't you dislike him, after all when he did his stint in baseball he played for the White Sox organization? And everyone knows the Sox and Cubs hate each other."

"Will you just admit the Dream Team was a great thing?" Seth challenged.

"I did like two things about them." She admitted. "They included Larry Bird even though he was dealing with age and injuries…at least they gave him the respect he deserved. And it was a positive thing for Magic Johnson, and I think it helped calm a lot of the fears about being around people with HIV."

"See you do like them." Seth chuckled.

"I would've liked them better in 1976. Although, to be fair a lot of countries were out to make sure the US got screwed in 1972. Even one of the British officials made the statement prior to the start of the 72 games that if he could do anything to keep the US from getting the gold in basketball again, he was gonna do it. And sure enough he did. He was one of them making them add more time to the clock." She said.

"I still think these two were siblings in a past life." John said.

"Yeah, but they're dynamic is a good thing." Jerry said. "They are a great team."

"We're headed out. Call us if there is any news about Dana Brooke." Trina began gathering her things.

"Sure thing." Jerry agreed.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Love all the reviews. You guys are awesome. The reviews help me write and stay focused and inspired. I can't thank you guys enough. Paisley2 (Apparently I need to redo the last chapter. Everyone is thinking the guy in the bar was AJ. I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere.) Nixystix (Guess time will tell. But I have a feeling there are some shocks coming people are not expecting.) Reikat (Another one that thinks it is AJ. I need to figure out where I went wrong with my writing. And going through evidence like you did is always the first step to figuring things out. You are doing great.) jcott3 (Yes, the teen campers were not wrestling people which is why I didn't give any names. And might I say you are a great detective.) carlyrosanna83 (The world needs more Sting. I keep hoping the WWE will bring him in as something…commentator, GM, anything. LOL) Batistasprincess (I enjoy writing Randy. I am hoping the WWE uses him for something big soon.)_


	8. Train Wreck

**Warning** \- Graphic material in this chapter. Please use caution as needed.

July 22nd, 0234 Hours

Steve and Trina were both sleeping soundly in the farmhouse. Jack was curled up on the floor with Wonder. Everything was quiet when the phone ringing broke the silence. Trina barely moved as she had been exhausted. Steve forced his eyes open and reached over his wife to answer the phone.

"Hello?" he answered.

Trina finally stirred and realized Steve was talking on the phone. She rolled over and looked at the clock, groaning when she saw the time.

"We'll be right there. Call Ziggler and the twins. We're gonna need extra help." Steve hung up.

"What's going on?" Trina asked.

"Come on, we got a call. Big accident between Davis and Parsons. Train hit somebody." Steve said.

"A train accident? Oh shit." She leaped out of bed and began grabbing clothing.

"That was Lawler on the phone. Said the call came in a few minutes ago. Coal train hit someone who was on the tracks." Steve explained as they both pulled on clothes.

"Oh no, that is going to be messy." Trina said.

"I have never dealt with a train accident before." Steve said.

"Neither have I. Guess we will learn this one together." They both put on their weapons.

The married officers hurried down the stairs and out of the house, jumping in Steve's truck. Steve put the light on top his truck and pulled out of the long driveway. He sped towards the woods outside of town where the chief had reported the accident took place.

They pulled up at the edge of the woods and saw several other county vehicles already in place, including an ambulance, and several police cars. Both climbed out of the truck and began grabbing equipment.

"Ambulance is here just in case there is a chance this person is still alive. But the engineer told the chief that he even though he threw on the brakes, it took half a mile to stop." Seth whispered to Steve and Trina.

"There won't be much left of this person." Trina sighed.

The twins joined them and they grabbed lanterns, flashlights and evidence kits. Layfield and Lawler both grabbed rifles in case they would be needed. Everyone headed into the woods, walking towards the train tracks.

They walked carefully, shining their lights to avoid tripping or stumbling. The night air was hot and humid. The woods sounded quiet and they didn't see any poachers or campers. Finally, the trees gave way to the tracks that cleared a path through the them. They could see the coal train, at least a hundred cars stopped on the tracks. A frantic man came running up to them, trying to talk and motion at the same time.

"Sir, we need you to calm down. We're here to help but you have to calm down so we can understand what happened." Steve said.

"Are you Mike Shaw? The engineer who called in?" Jerry asked.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Okay, Mr. Shaw, first can you tell us where the person is? Our paramedics need to check them in case they can be helped." Steve said.

Shaw shook his head. "No use, I tried to…. the body is in…it's been torn apart."

The officers looked at each other, silently cringing.

"Tell us what happened, as best as you can remember it. Uso's, go with Dolph and begin taking pictures. Seth, John begin setting up a perimeter and taping off the area." Steve instructed.

Everyone began to do as Steve had instructed them while the chief went to set up extra lighting to assist them as they worked. Shaw still didn't speak, seemingly in shock.

"Mr. Shaw, can you tell us what happened?" Trina asked the man whose wild hair was sticking to his sweaty face.

"Everything was normal. Picked up my load and was headed out of state. Picked up the load in McDowell last night. About 0215 hours, my second man Matt Osborne, alerted me he saw something on the tracks and we realized it was a person. They must've been sleeping on the tracks or something. They were lying down. I immediately began sounding the whistle, thinking it would wake them up. Osborne threw the breaks but with the speed we were traveling…. they never moved and it took us a half mile to come to a full stop." Shaw explained.

"How long is this train?" Steve asked.

"2.4 miles, we are fully loaded." Shaw answered.

"And where is Matt Osborne? We will need to speak with him as well." Steve said.

"He is at the engine, speaking to headquarters." Shaw said.

"Trina, you go see what Dolph has found and look for anything that might be evidence. I am going to speak with Matt Osborne." Steve told her.

She nodded and headed in the direction Dolph and the twins had walked. She saw where the chief had set up extra lighting and as she walked she could see the twins getting out multiple body bags.

"How bad is it?" Trina asked Jimmy.

"Bad, whoever this is…. mangled all to hell." Jimmy said. "Brace yourself."

She nodded and slowly walked along the tracks to where Dolph was kneeling and examining part of the body. Her eyes widened as she looked under the train; no amount of mental preparation could subdue the sickness she felt. There was blood along the tracks, bits of flesh visible and she could see intestines lying under the train, torn from the body. She looked at Dolph and could tell he was examining what looked like lower legs.

"Breathe, you can do this." Jey appeared beside her.

"I never seen anything like this." She looked at him, her eyes wide.

"I know, me either. Just take a deep breath." He told her.

She nodded and took a deep breath. She walked over to where Dolph was and noticed he was deep in thought.

"What do you have?" she asked.

"The body is badly mangled due to the train running over it. I have found the lower limbs, part of the intestines, an arm and the torso with head. The victim appears to be male." Dolph told her. "But I can tell you, the train didn't kill this guy."

"What?" she was startled.

Dolph gently pulled up the pant leg the victim was wearing and flashed his light so she could get a better look. "The body shows signs of lividity. Blood had stopped flowing and settled in his calves. Also rigor mortis has set in meaning he has been dead at least four hours."

"Possibly a hiker that died?" Trina asked.

"Could be. I won't know anything until I get him back to the morgue." Dolph said.

"But you are sure that he was already dead when the train hit him?" Trina asked.

"Very sure, the body is cold, stiff and blood has settled." Dolph said.

"Well at least we can give the train crew some comfort that they didn't kill anyone." Trina sighed.

"The twins are going to help me load the body." Dolph said.

"I am gonna walk the tracks and see if I can find anything. Maybe a cell phone or something that was in his pockets." Trina told him.

0800 Hours

Jerry walked into the Davis station and saw Seth and John sitting at their desks. They were both drinking coffee and looked tired.

"Where is Trina?" Jerry asked.

"She wasn't feeling well so Steve took her into the break room to relax. I think the gruesome scene got to her." Seth said.

"Yeah, and she has been putting in some long hours too." Jerry said. "I'll be in my office."

Seth watched him walk into his office and then stood up to get some coffee. He walked into the break room and found Steve sitting on the couch and Trina asleep with her head in his lap.

"She okay?" Seth whispered.

"She is fine. She just needed to rest a bit." Steve smiled.

"I am glad she has you. You take good care of her." Seth sat down. "And I have never seen her so happy as she has been with you."

"You really care about her. You two might carry on like the Hatfield's and McCoy's but you two really have a special bond." He laughed.

"How are your boys?" Seth asked.

"Good, they are spending most of the summer with their mom and taking some online classes." Steve said.

"How is the barn coming?" Seth sipped his coffee. "Damn, Trina made the coffee."

"The foundation is done and we got a lot of the frame done." Steve said. "I better hurry at the rate Trina brings home strays."

Jerry walked in. "Dolph just called, he needs you guys down at the morgue."

Steve nodded. "Trina, baby wake up."

"What?" she mumbled.

"We gotta get down to the morgue." Steve told her.

"Oh…. I need water." She groaned.

"You okay?" Seth asked.

"Yeah…just feel a little off." She managed to sit up.

"I'll get you some water." Steve told her and walked to the fridge.

"What time is it?" she asked. "Thanks baby." She took the bottle of water Steve handed her.

"A little after 8am." Steve told her. "You hungry?"

She shook her head. "No, after what I saw last night I might not eat for a month."

"You want me to go instead? You look a little pale." Seth said.

"No, I'm okay. Just tired I guess." She stood up. "We'll let you know what Dolph tells us."

0840 Hours

Steve walked with Trina into the morgue building. They were both anxious to hear what Dolph had found for them and hoped he had been able to ID the body so they could contact the family.

"I think we need to take a few days to ourselves." Steve said.

"We just had a two-week honeymoon." She looked over at him as they walked.

"I don't mean go anywhere far away or anything. But so many strange things been popping up lately and some long hours. Might do us good to just go hiking for a day or something." He told her.

"That does sound nice." She agreed. "But first we need to figure out what happened with this train man."

They walked into the examine room and found Dolph writing on a notepad. The body was lying under sheets around the room on the exam tables.

"Dolph, what did you find?" Steve asked.

Dolph looked up at them. "We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Trina asked.

"Remember how I told you this guy was dead before the train hit him? Turns out he was murdered and then placed on the tracks." Dolph said.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"I am sure. But a lot about this case is not adding up." Dolph explained. "I figured that the man had died on the tracks…natural causes or possibly a drug overdose. I ran a tox screen on blood and tissue samples and nothing. Not so much as an aspirin in his system."

"Any signs of natural causes? Heart attack, allergic reaction?" Trina asked.

"That was what I began to look for next…. but heart is normal. And the lungs, liver and stomach show signs of damage inflicted peri-mortem." Dolph said.

"You can tell that with all the damage done by the train?" Steve asked.

"It took some work, but the damage to the organs are not only from the train. One of the lungs was punctured and full of blood. That could not happen from the train because he was already dead with no blood flow at the time of impact." Dolph explained.

"Can you tell how long he has been dead?" Trina asked.

"It is difficult to get an exact time of death. The hot weather makes it difficult but based on the rigor mortis…. I estimate he has been since about 10pm last night, give or take a few hours." Dolph said.

"What about his other injuries?" Steve asked.

"The liver was punctured but I have been unable to identify what punctured it yet. I will have to do some more tests on that. But there are three puncture wounds in the liver. And this man's stomach was ruptured from a blow." Dolph explained. "I can't tell if the rupture was caused from a blow from a punch, kick or foreign object."

"Could this be a fight taken too far and someone panicked?" Trina asked.

"Anything is possible, but the face doesn't show signs of a fight. And the hands don't have defensive wounds or bruising you would expect from a fight. No broken bones in the hands either." Dolph frowned.

"Any luck on identifying this man?" Steve asked.

"I was able to pull fingerprints to be faxed to Charleston. Vitals: he is about 6 foot four inches tall. Dark hair and eyes. Based on bones and teeth, I would guess he is about 30 to 40 years old. This man has a full set of teeth, well-kept with dental work. I doubt he was homeless…. dental work, no signs of drug use…. but that brings me to the next mystery." Dolph frowned again.

"There is more?" Trina was surprised.

"The man's skin is loose, as if he had recently lost weight." Dolph asked. "Yet, he is physically in shape. I couldn't imagine why he would've been dieting. And I can find no signs of illness that would cause weight loss."

"Did you get anything off the clothing?" Steve asked.

"I did a preliminary exam of the clothing but it is difficult. The clothing is filthy, torn and bloody. I can't tell what is from the train and what is from the murder." Dolph sighed. "I am gonna see what I can do with them and then send them off to Charleston as well."

"Can you tell us anything else about him?" Trina asked.

"His stomach was completely empty, indicating he had not eaten for at least two hours before his death. His body is toned and muscular, I would guess he led an active lifestyle. No signs of calluses on his hands but he does have them on his feet. His face has a beard as if he had not shaved in several days. Hair and body is dirty with a strong smell of body odor that has nothing to do with the train accident." Dolph said.

"In your professional opinion, what do you think?" Steve asked.

"I don't know. There are a lot of questions. But I do think someone killed this man and put him on the tracks hoping his death would be ruled a train accident. Or hoping that the body would be so mangled that the signs of murder would be masked by damage from the train." Dolph said.

"Any sign of animal marks?" Trina asked.

Dolph shook his head. "Not that I have found as of yet."

"Which means he didn't lay on those tracks for very long. If he had, animals would have been after him." Trina said.

"That is a good point. We need to get a schedule of trains passing through the area to help us with a time frame." Steve said.

"It is gonna be a long day." Trina sighed.

"We better get started. Thanks Dolph." Steve said as the married couple walked out of the exam room.

1235 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station carrying a few bags of take-out for lunch. He looked around and saw Trina and John sitting at their desks working. He walked over and sat down across from Trina. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey baby, what brings you by?" she asked.

"I wanted to have lunch with my wife. I know you must be hungry. We been working since the early morning." Steve said.

"What did you get to eat?" she asked as she typed.

"I stopped by the deli. Grabbed some sandwiches and pasta salad." He said. "You ready for a lunch break?"

"Yeah, I feel like I am glued to this seat I have sat here so long." She smiled. "John, you want to join us?"

"No, you guys go ahead. My wife is gonna bring me some lunch." John said.

Trina nodded and followed Steve into the break room. They sat down and Steve opened the bags of food. Trina grabbed them a couple of waters out of the fridge.

"How is the case going?" Steve asked.

"I faxed the fingerprints to Charleston. I also spoke with the park rangers and none of them have had any reports of missing campers or hikers." She said.

"I got the schedule of trains using that track. Coal and timber trains. Before the train involved in the accident last night, the last one had gone through yesterday afternoon." Steve told her.

"Doesn't help much with a timeline." Trina frowned.

"Enough about work. I want to enjoy lunch with my wife." He smiled.

"Sounds wonderful. Oh, I almost forgot, Roman called. He says Def Leppard has healed and is strong enough to be taken home." She smiled.

"Well I know you are looking forward to that." He said.

. "He has been through so much. I just want him to be happy and feel safe." She said. "Besides, you like him. I see you petting him when we stop to check on him at the clinic."

"I figure he is my competition for your attention so I might as well make friends with him." Steve winked.

"Speaking of the animals, have you noticed Jack acting weird lately?" Trina asked.

"Not really. What has he been doing?" Steve asked.

"Every chance he gets, whether I take a nap or you get up early… he tries to lay across me." Trina shrugged.

"Jack has always been protective of you. Maybe that is his way of keeping you safe when I am not around." Steve said. "He treats me the same as always."

"Oh who knows. Although Bray did say something about the animals…. then again Bray says a lot of things." She laughed. "Have you ever thought of what it would be like to go to his church?"

"I am not going to any church where someone is gonna hand me a snake instead of a hymnal." Steve said.

"That's not what I meant. Although, I have never heard of anyone getting bit at Bray's church. I meant, I wonder if his preaching is as strange as some of the things he says." She chuckled.

"Did you see the paper today?" Steve asked.

"No, was there anything interesting in it?"

"That Lesner guy is in the paper again. He reached a deal with McMahon about advertising his MMA campaign." Steve told her.

"Great, now on top of all those annoying 'I approve this message' commercials, I can watch someone trying to bring MMA to West Virginia. Although I do like that Cyborg girl. She looks like she could tear apart a car with her bare hands…. I should get her number for Seth." She giggled.

"Damn, you must've been hungry." Steve watched as she picked up her second sandwich.

"I just feel so hungry." She shrugged.

"Well eat up. We still got a lot to do today." Steve said.

1745 Hours

Seth walked into the Davis station, getting ready to go on nightshift for the night. He saw John and Trina both still working. He went to his desk to go over whatever had been left for the nightshift.

"Did you get some rest today?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, I am sleeping better now that the Cubs are winning again." He replied.

"It's just like they say in paratrooper school, it ain't over until the last man is out." Trina said.

"I hate to admit it, but I am starting to think you are right about the woman making accusations against Jung Ho Kang." Seth said as he sat down.

"Did Seth just agree with you on something?" John looked up.

"I am shocked too. What changed your mind?" Trina asked.

"Chicago police have stated that the alleged victim has not been cooperative with them." Seth said.

"You know what confuses me about this whole thing? I have watched Kang play in several games, this year and last year…. he doesn't speak English. He is still learning the language and has a translator that goes everywhere with him, even the dugout. So if his language is so limited…. where was this translator during this date?" she pondered.

"Good point. How does Kang have any dates? Imagine trying to talk with a girl through a translator." Seth shrugged.

"A translator might help your game." She giggled as the phone rang. "Davis Police."

"Trina, it's Dolph. I think I have identified the one of the murder weapons." He said through the phone.

"That is good news. What did you find?" Trina grabbed her notepad.

"The liver was punctured by a screwdriver, Phillips head. It is consistent with the wounds found on the torso." Dolph told her.

"Any luck on what ruptured the stomach?" she asked.

"Not yet. But I examined the clothes more closely. I found no holes in the shirt consistent with a screwdriver stab wound. And I found no clothing fibers in the wound." Dolph told her.

"He was shirtless when he was stabbed." Trina said. "Dolph, is it possible this guy was injured and trying to escape someone or walking somewhere and just died on those tracks?"

"Doubtful. With his lung filling up with blood and his stomach ruptured, he wouldn't have been able to go far. And I went back to the crime scene. The blood there is from the train accident. There is no blood spatter from a stab wound and no signs of the victim spitting up blood as his lung filled up." Dolph said.

"Damn, a part of me was hoping this was a fight gone too far and was a manslaughter case." She said.

"Last thing, the victim was wearing his pants at the time of death. I found traces of urine and feces in his pants…but not much. Almost as if he had been starved and dehydrated prior to death." Dolph explained.

"Every time we answer one question, three more pops up." She shook her head. "Thanks for calling. Let me know if anything else comes up."

She hung up the phone and looked over her notes. "Seth, walk through this evidence with me. Nothing is adding up."

Seth walked over to her desk and began looking over the notes with her.

"We have a physically fit young man, but has recently lost weight. He hasn't had much to eat or drink prior to his death to the point that when he dies, there isn't much urine and feces in his clothing. He is killed from a ruptured stomach, perforated lung and stab wounds to the liver… yet his hands and face show no signs of a fight." She looked over her notes.

"And someone then takes his dead body and puts it on train tracks to cover the cause of death." Seth frowned. "I would say it was someone who thought police would put cause of death as the train hitting this person and not investigate further."

"I swear everything points to a fight gone too far and the killer panicked, except his face and hands being clean. That throws a huge monkey wrench in that possibility." Trina was frustrated.

"There is something here we aren't seeing. Has to be something we missed." Seth rubbed his eyes.

"Dolph and the twins have been back to the train tracks, so we couldn't have missed any evidence." Trina disagreed.

"Let's look at the fight possibility again. If it wasn't a one on one fight, someone could've held the victim while someone else had open shots at him." Seth offered.

"But why not take a shot at his face?" John asked.

"Who knows? But it would've taken more than one person to put him on those train tracks. He was a good sized guy. I don't think one person could carry him out there alone. And we didn't find any tire tracks." Seth countered.

"But that still doesn't explain the weight loss and lack of food and fluids in his system." Trina sighed.

"No it doesn't." Seth sighed too. "And there were no signs of drug use or drugs in his system so that rules out a drug debt problem."

"Have you noticed weird but unrelated things are happening lately? We have an attempted abduction, mutilated animals, someone following girls around, a peeping tom, a perv at Almost Heaven, a missing persons case, and now this body on the train tracks mess." John said.

"But Jason Jordan has returned to Ohio. We couldn't find any reason to keep him." Seth said.

"But John is right. Strange things happening. Connected or not… something ain't right." Trina said.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _I can't thank you guys enough for all the feedback. Thank you so much, I love you guys. You are awesome. The reviews keep me inspired. Nixystix (Oh no, crazy women never stop. Scary thing is her antics are partly inspired by a woman in the town I live. LOL) batistasprincess (Scary to think there are women out there that act just like her. LOL) Paisley2 (Good pick up that his hair was too short to be Styles. Oh dear, I am turning people off to camping. Reminds me of when people got afraid of camping/rafting after the movie 'Deliverance' came out.) jcott3 (Miz will be explained in time. Now if only we could get rid of him and his wife in the WWE universe. LOL And I am excited you are still keeping track of clues. Don't worry John won't kill Karen. Every town needs a 'town crazy'.) carlyrosanna83 (Maybe we should start a petition or something to encourage the WWE to bring Sting in as something. The world needs more Sting.) reikat (Don't fret, seems everyone originally pointed the finger at AJ. And yes, it is a good time to be a Roman fan, but I always consider it a good time to cheer for him. I have been on his bandwagon since the Shield were heels. Drove some co-workers crazy. LOL And I completely agree with you about Sting's last year being unfair. When he was injured I just kept thinking 'it can't end like this' but sadly it did. And everyone I know says his WM loss was McMahon trying to stick it to WCW and it's icon. But when he comes back, no matter what capacity….I am gonna lose my mind, in a good way.)_


	9. Day of Rest

_**Warning-**_ Mature content in this chapter. Use caution as needed.

July 24th, 0800 Hours

Steve quietly walked up the stairs of the farmhouse and pushed opened the bedroom door. He looked inside and saw Trina still asleep and Jack had jumped up on the bed and was laying across her. Jack looked up and saw Steve and jumped down from the bed. Steve walked into the room and set the tray he was carrying on the bed.

"Trina, baby wake up." Steve gently shook her shoulder.

"Hmmm? What's going on?" she opened her eyes.

"I brought you some breakfast." He smiled.

She looked over and saw the tray with bacon, eggs and coffee. "Breakfast in bed. How sweet are you?"

"We have today off. Might as well start it off right." He picked up the tray as she sat up.

"Thank you, this is so nice." She smiled.

"Things have been a little crazy lately, I thought that a day of just us would be nice."

"You are brilliant indeed." She picked up her fork. "Any word from the station about our John Doe?"

"None of that. Today is for us both to get a break." He told her.

"So what else have you got planned?" she asked.

"You have been wanting to ride the four-wheeler more, so I thought we would take it out for a ride. And I am sure there is a Liam Neeson movie around here we can watch." He laughed.

"I like how you think."

"Garrett called this morning too."

"How are the boys? Garrett texted me a few pictures the other night of him and his friends." Trina smiled.

"Garrett is considering transferring to a school out here." Steve said.

"Really? But I thought he loved his school?" she was confused.

"He does, but he wants to be closer to us." He explained.

"Well West Virginia has some great universities. WVU, Marshall, West Liberty, West Virginia Tech." she said.

"You attended WVU, maybe you should call him and talk to him about it."

"Oh yeah. Just as long as he promises to never burn couches, adore Jerry West and sing 'Take Me Home Country Roads' at the top of his lungs at all football and basketball games!" she giggled.

"I bet you were so cute doing that." Steve chuckled.

"I still like looking at the pictures of you when you were younger. Especially around the time Garrett was born. That blonde hair." She laughed.

"I thought I looked okay."

"Oh you looked great, but I am used to you with dark hair." She giggled. "But if I had known you back then…and was an adult…I would've thought you were cute."

"That explains all the women that would hit on me when I was undercover." He chuckled.

"And who hits on you these days?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Naomi as a joke. Summer has given up. I think most other ladies are afraid of you and Naomi." Steve chuckled. "Or maybe I just don't notice because I got such a beautiful wife."

"You always know the right thing to say."

1100 Hours

Trina was laying back against Steve as they sat on a blanket at the edge of the creek. They had been four wheeling and stopped to take a break and just relax. Jack laid nearby after playing in the creek and getting wet.

"You seem relaxed and happy." Steve observed.

"I think this is exactly what I needed. Quiet time with my wonderful husband." She smiled.

"I think you just like riding in the woods." He chuckled. "You gotta be careful going so fast."

"It's fine. I have been riding these woods since I bought the farm." She assured him.

"I just don't want you getting hurt. Especially if I am not riding with you." He kissed her temple.

"I know, but trust me when I say I will be okay in these woods. I know these woods quite well." She nuzzled against him.

"Do you ever stop to wonder what your parents would think of me?" Steve asked.

She pulled back and looked at him. "You think they wouldn't like you?"

He shrugged. "I am older than you and have two grown children. I doubt I am what they pictured for you."

"I think you are exactly what they pictured for me. You make me happy, which they always wanted. You work at a job and take care of your family, two things very important to my dad…old school country guy. You take care of me, respect me, again important to my parents. And you love the animals. Dad would rise from the grave and haunt you if you mistreated an animal." She smiled. "They would've adored you."

"I hope so." He smiled. "Speaking of animals, Daniel seems to like Def Leppard."

"I keep telling you, animals are smart. He knows Def Leppard needs a buddy." She chuckled.

"Roman is still in shock he survived."

"Bray said he would, and Bray just has a strange way of knowing things. I wouldn't exactly say he's psychic but…. if he says it is going to rain, I would carry an umbrella that day." She smiled.

"If you say so. You trust him and he has always been very nice."

"It's okay city-slicker." She laughed. "Besides, Bray is a sweet guy and in tune with nature… but I wouldn't want to piss him off. Something tells me he could be mean if he had to be."

1930 Hours

Trina walked into the bedroom to find Steve relaxing on the bed in his boxers. She chuckled and walked over to the bed.

"And just what did you have in mind?" she sat down on the bed.

"I thought after such a nice day together we could relax in here for a while." He smiled.

"Oh I know the kind of relaxing you have in mind."

"Are you complaining?"

"No, I love having a husband that loves me…all of me, mind, body and soul." Trina smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

They sat there kissing for a moment, as Steve took over. Steve undressed Trina softly and as he did he took in every part of Trina's body, which made Trina feel like the most beautiful woman on the face of the Earth. Trina was in shock by the looks of passion on Steve's face. And, as Steve laid his body softly between Trina's legs her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

"You know, sometimes I still can't believe you are mine." Steve said, as he began to kiss her neck.

Steve leaned over and grabbed a bottle of massage oil. And as Steve dripped the oil down the front of Trina's body, Trina noticed that the oil was warm. Steve began on Trina's stomach were he dripped the oil and massaged her skin with the oil. As Steve did this Trina laid her head back, and her eyes rolled into her head. Trina gasped, as Steve ran his hand softly under her breast and gently cupped it. Steve took the oil, and dripped a little directly on her nipple, the heat from the oil made her nipple erect, and she could feel the heat coming from in between her thighs. Gently Steve rubbed the oil into her nipple and squeezed it softly. He did the other  
nipple the same way.

Steve took his time. Steve rubbed her entire body with that warm oil arms, thighs, calves, feet. By the time Steve was done Trina was having difficulty staying still under his hands.

"Feeling relaxed?" he chuckled.

"Does turned on enough to explode count?" she smiled.

Steve's movements were smooth and confident. He was enjoying pampering his wife.

"Damn," Trina sighed as she began to rub Steve's back. "Do you know how much I love you?"

He nodded. "I love you just as much. More than I ever loved my ex."

"Baby, you don't have to say things like that. I know you loved her a lot and was with her a very long time." He gently smiled.

"I mean it. Yes, I loved her…but we were young and then had the boys and while we still loved each other….it just wasn't like this." He traced her lips. "When I found you, I was more mature and my feelings are so much deeper. I can't explain it but the feelings are so different."

"I love you so much. Never thought I would fall in love with a guy I met in the morgue." She winked making Steve laugh.

Steve looked at her softly, noticing she had a soft glow. Maybe Seth was right about that sex glow. "You were the last thing I expected too. Guess fate knew what it was doing."

Trina sat up and gently pushed Steve back on the bed. She crawled over to him and leaned down and kissed him softly. Steve cradled Trina's head, and gave her a long passionate  
kiss.

"Think you can keep up with your wife?" she chuckled

"Come here baby" is all he could get out as he grabbed Trina by the hips, and pulled her over himself. 

Trina straddled Steve. And, with one soft push on her hips she felt Steve as he entered her. A quick gasp came out of Trina, as she began to rotate her hips slowly. He looked up at her as she sat on top of him, and he couldn't help but admire the way that she looked. She was sitting straight up rotating her hips, and her head was back, so that her hair was falling down her back, and her body was still glistening from the oil.

"Damn, that feels so damned good!" She was riding her up and down, and could feel his length gliding in and out of her when Steve grabbed her back and repositioned her a little so that her legs were wrapped around his waist.

The deeper that Steve went, the louder Trina's moans got as their bodies intertwined.

In the midst of the sex, Trina caught hold of Steve's eyes. "I want you to give it all to me, every way that you know how. Until I can't take it any longer."

"You're gonna be the death of me!" was Steve's only reply, as he pushed Trina on to her back gently, and put her right leg up on his shoulder. He watched as Trina's eyes rolled into the back of her head. Kissing her neck and shoulders, they both felt it as their souls connected again. As Trina's eyes came back into focus, she looked at Steve on top of her, and Trina couldn't help but reach up and touch his face sweetly. Steve gazed at her, she looked so beautiful, laying there with her hair spread out over the blankets. And she could feel Trina's body twitch as she came at that moment, when they were eye to eye.

"Damn I love you." he said as he too reached climax.

Steve looked at Trina with passion all over her face, and kissed her so deeply that Trina's whole body trembled.

"You okay?" he pushed some hair off her forehead.

"I need to see your birth certificate again. There is no way you are the age we all think." She smiled.

"Staying active and being healthy has benefits." He gently moved off of her.

"Hell, I am signing you up for that cross-fit stuff Seth does." She snuggled against him. "Keep you doing this well into your nineties."

He smiled at her crazy way of putting things. "I'll be the feistiest guy at the nursing home."

"Only if they hide the sheriff's little blue pills." She chuckled.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Some fluff as a break from the crazy things taking place in this story. Thanks again for all the reviews and feedback. It has been a positive thing and keeps me excited to write. I will try to post this weekend, but I am in the path of Hurricane Matthew so it will depend on mother nature. Jcott3 (I love that you always catch the people making cameo appearances. I can never trip you up.) reikat (Well I am glad that it came at the right time for you and I hope that you are feeling better.) Batistasprincess (I am glad that I have developed a case that has everyone guessing. The next chapter will have more case, less fluff.) carlyrosanna83 (I am glad you enjoyed it.)_


	10. Tied Up

**Warning:** Very graphic material discussed in this chapter. Rated M. Use caution as needed.

July 27th, 0815 Hours

Trina was sitting half awake at her desk as Seth talked about what happened over the nightshift. She struggled to focus on what he was saying.

"Are you okay? You look ready to fall over." Seth commented.

"I am tired. Guess I didn't get enough sleep last night." She shrugged.

"Tell Chandler to keep his bing to himself." Seth winked.

"I am not too tired to strangle you." She rolled her eyes.

John walked in with a frown on his face. He handed Trina a folder. "We got an ID on our train guy. His name is Johnny Curtis; he was a professional dancer."

"Johnny Curtis…where have I heard that name?" she frowned.

"He has been listed as a missing person for about a month. His prints weren't in the system but Dolph made the ID using the missing person's databank." John explained. "He called me while I was on my way in this morning."

"Curtis…. oh yeah he was reported missing from Huntington." Trina made the connection.

"Dolph said his family is coming in later. I am going to be there to get their statements and talk with them." John grabbed a cup of coffee.

"If he was a professional dancer, that explains the calluses on his feet. And having a toned body." Trina made some notes. "Says here he went by the professional name of 'Fandango'."

"How did a professional dancer come up missing and end up dead on train tracks down here?" Seth frowned.

"I am hoping his family can maybe give me some answers." John sat down.

"I hope they can. This case has more questions every time we turn around." Trina frowned.

"How is Def Leppard?" Seth asked.

"He is warming up to me better. And Daniel seems to love him. He is getting stronger walking on three legs." She smiled as she read over the file.

"I have heard of crazy cat ladies. But Trina is the first crazy goat lady I have ever met." Seth chuckled.

"I have a yard full of cats." Trina looked up.

Jerry walked into the room. "Trina, you need to get out to the landfill road area. I will call Steve and Dolph and have them meet you there. Just got a call, someone found a body."

"Wait…what? Another one?" She stood up and began gathering her things.

"Michael Hayes just called it in. He found it while walking in the woods. He is in the middle of nowhere so you might be in for a hike." Jerry said.

"Need me to go with her?" Seth asked.

"No, you go on home to get some rest. John, your meeting with the Curtis family might be delayed so contact them and have them meet you here. You can still interview them and then go to the morgue with them when Dolph is ready." Jerry ordered his team.

"I will be glad when fall hits. Summer seems to be bringing out the crazies." John groaned.

0845 Hours

Trina arrived at the edge of the woods on landfill road, seeing Steve and Dolph had already arrived and were speaking with Michael Hayes. She jumped out of the SUV and hurried to join them.

"Good morning gentleman." She greeted them.

"Trina, glad you are here. Mr. Hayes has quite a story to tell." Steve said.

"Walk me through it, Michael. What is going on?" Trina asked.

"I was out looking for ginseng this morning. I have a few areas I look in regularly. I was in the woods about a mile in, and I saw what I thought was a doll, prank something. I thought I'd get a closer look. It's a girl tied to a tree…she's dead." Michael paled a bit.

"Did you touch anything?" Steve asked.

"I touched her ankle to try to shake her awake but she was ice cold. And the smell…. I knew. I then began walking until I could get a cell phone signal to call the police." Hayes told them.

"Can you take us back to where she is?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I know the area." Michael told them.

"Okay, let us grab our equipment and you lead the way." Steve told him.

Dolph, Steve and Trina began grabbing their bags of equipment from the vehicles. All three of them prepared for the worst, knowing that this was going to be a rough case. Once they were ready with their equipment, they began following Michael into the woods.

"You say you come out here often, when was the last time you were here?" Trina asked, hoping to begin developing a timeline.

"A few weeks ago. You have to be careful where you look for ginseng." Hayes said.

"No kidding. You mess with someone else's patch and they will shoot at you like they are protecting family." Trina agreed.

"Some new plants growing up this way I have had my eye on. Not mature enough to dig yet." Michael told them.

"When you were out here the last time, did you see anything unusual?" Steve asked.

"No, everything was normal. Not many people hike or camp in this area. It is one reason I come out here." He explained.

"There aren't even trails." Dolph grumbled as they walked through tall grass.

"Easy guys, in this heat snakes are going to be everywhere." Trina warned.

They pushed their way through the tall grass and briar bushes as they followed Michael. Steve was extra vigilant about snakes, wanting to keep Trina safe as well as the others. Hayes had been right when he said he was far back in the woods when he found this woman. It was a long hike in a lot of heat.

Finally, they came upon the scene Michael had told them about. There was no clearing, thick tall weeds but they could see where the vegetation had been walked on and pushed where someone besides Michael had walked. They could see what appeared to be a woman tied to the tree in a sitting position. There was a lot of blood and flies were buzzing around. The smell of decay hit them.

"Okay, Mr. Hayes, we need you to stay back and let us work. Do not touch anything." Steve explained. "Dolph, you can get started. I will set up a perimeter and begin searching for evidence. Trina, you take the crime scene photos. Everyone use some Odorscreen."

Everyone moved to do as ordered. They passed around the tube of Odorscreen and put it under their noses. Trina grabbed the camera out of one of the bags and began taking pictures. She was careful to stay out of Dolph's way as he began examining the body.

"Appears to be female, long hair, full breasts, painted toenails. Jane Doe is wearing a tank top and shorts. No shoes, no socks." Dolph made notes.

"There is blood everywhere." Trina commented.

"From the spatter patterns I am seeing on the tree and surrounding vegetation, I would say she was killed right here." Dolph said. "This is a definite homicide."

"Who in the world would drag someone all the way out here to kill them?" Trina frowned.

"I don't know. She is tied to the tree at the waist and neck. Thick rope is used." Dolph observed. "Body is so messy I can't guess a cause of death; I will have to wait until I get her back to the morgue."

"It appears as if she suffered damage to the facial area as well." Trina observed.

"Apparently her injuries were peri-mortem. Blood has clotted one some of the wounds." Dolph looked closer. He reached down and examined her legs. "Lividity has set in and based on her legs, I'd make an educated guess that she died in this position and was left as she was. Killer just walked off when he was done."

"From the spatter patterns I am seeing, the killer or killers had to get blood on them." She observed.

"Body shows signs animals chewing on the body. I do see some fly eggs in the blood but they have not hatched into maggots. My guess is she has been here about a day. But this heat is going to have sped up the rate of decay." Dolph said.

"I'll get some bags for the evidence. That rope will need to be examined." Trina walked behind the tree. "I have no idea what type of knots these are."

Steve walked over. "Round turn with two half hitches."

Trina looked up at him startled. "How do you know that?"

"I have two boys, both of whom were boy scouts." Steve explained. "They are well done."

"Find anything?" Trina asked.

"So far no usable footprints. But the weeds have been trampled in a path leading in from Highway 32. I haven't found any garbage, gum, cigarettes…nothing of use that way." Steve said.

"Steve, help me with the ropes. I want to get her untied and in a body bag." Dolph said.

"Let's move. We need to get her out of this heat and cleaned up. Give her some dignity back." Trina said.

1400 Hours

John walked into the break room at the Davis station and found Trina sitting on the couch asleep. He frowned and walked over and sat down beside her.

"Trina, are you okay?" he asked.

Her eyes flew open and she looked around. "Damn, I just wanted to sit down for a minute and I dozed off."

"It's okay. You had a rough morning from what I hear." John said.

"What did you get from the Curtis family? Anything helpful?" she turned her mind back to work.

"Not sure anything they said was helpful. Dolph was able to get them in for a quick ID. His hands are full with that body you guys found this morning. But I did spend a long time talking with Johnny's parents and best friend." John said.

"At least we have confirmed his identity and can return him to his loved ones." Trina said. "What did they tell you?"

"June 17th was their annual family reunion. When Johnny missed it with no phone call or explanation they became concerned. They were unable to reach him on his cell phone which has not been found. They went to his apartment and found everything in order, nothing out of place. They reported him missing to authorities in Huntington and have been using social media to get his picture out to the public." John said.

"Did they know of anyone who would want to hurt Johnny? Had he been dating anyone? Had any enemies?" Trina asked as she looked over John's notes from the interview.

"No, they said Johnny had no enemies and no serious relationship." John frowned. "But they did say he had talked about auditioning as a model."

"Model? I thought he was a dancer?" she looked up.

"He was but his best friend said he found an ad looking for models and thought he'd try it to make some extra money." John said.

"Did the friend say where he saw the ad?" Trina asked.

"No, but you know how many newspapers run ads looking for models and it turns out to be a money making gimmick." John shrugged.

"Still, I'd like to know if he ever met with anyone about it or had an appointment. Has his apartment been searched?" Trina asked.

"Huntington police looked around when he was reported as missing and his family has been there." John said.

"We need to get in that apartment and look around for ourselves. See if he left behind an appointment book or list of contacts." Trina said.

"I'll talk to the chief." John said. "You gonna be okay?"

"Oh yeah, just a long morning in the heat got to me. I'll be fine." Trina assured him.

1700 Hours

Trina climbed out of the SUV outside the morgue and saw Steve in the parking lot waiting for her. She walked across the hot pavement to where he was standing.

"Dolph must be ready for us." Steve told her. "Before we go in, how are you holding up? It has been a long day."

"I am okay. But when we get home, I wouldn't object to a nice backrub." She hugged him.

"You got it." He kissed her forehead. "But we have work to do first. Let's see what Dolph has found."

The two walked into the morgue and walked down towards the exam room. Steve looked through the window and the door and frowned when he saw that Dolph wasn't in there.

"Where could he be?"

"Let's try his office." Trina suggested.

They walked down the hall a few more doors and knocked on his office door. Dolph opened the door looking exhausted and upset.

"Dolph, what's going on?" Trina asked.

"I needed to come in here for a few minutes. This autopsy took a lot out of me. It has been one of the worst I have ever performed." Dolph sighed. "Brace yourselves before we go in there."

Dolph grabbed his lab coat and began walking towards the exam room. The married couple followed behind him as he pushed open the door and walked in. Dolph opened one of the drawers and pulled it out. He pulled the sheet back enough so they could see the female's head. He had cleaned her up but it was obvious a lot of damage had been done to her.

"So tell us what you found." Steve said.

"First the basics, Victim is female, hair dyed blonde. Five feet five inches tall, around 115 pounds. Healthy teeth, dental work. I took x-rays and did her fingerprints. I'd estimate her age to be 25 to 30 years old. No signs of disease or illness. Prior to her death I would say she was in good health." Dolph said.

"We'll fax her prints to Charleston. What else did you find?" Steve asked.

"Based on lividity and the crime scene, she was killed while tied to that tree. Whoever killed her, made her walk into those woods, tied her to that tree, then tortured her before finally killing her. Death was a blessing after all she had been through." Dolph frowned.

"How do you know she was walked into those woods?" Trina asked.

"Tox screen showed no drugs in her system. That eliminates someone drugging her to take her into the woods. Also her feet were bare, dirty and cut from walking in the woods. They took her out there barefoot." Dolph explained.

"You said she was tortured?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I got a long list of injuries from her being tortured. I got her cleaned up and…. where do I start? Head to toe. She had been partially scalped." Dolph reached over and gently lifted her scalp away from her skull. "It was done crudely, no medical precision and done before she was killed. Blood had begun to clot."

"That is sick." Trina cringed.

"Next on the list…her left eye was gouged out." Dolph said. "I can't tell what was used but a foreign object was used to stab through the eye, again she was still alive."

"Any signs of her being gagged?" Steve asked.

"None that I have found. No tape residue around her mouth, no bruises from a gag either." Dolph said.

"She had to have been screaming at the top of her lungs." Steve frowned.

"Out in those woods, that far out, who would've heard her?" Trina countered.

"But why risk it? Why risk a camper or hiker hearing her? Is it a local that knows no one camps in that area?" Steve asked.

"Good questions. I can't understand not gagging her either." Trina admitted.

"Her face also shows signs of a beating. Broken right orbital bone, lacerations to her cheek and a split lip." Dolph said. "Both of her breasts have been stabbed multiple times, her right breast was nearly cut off. From the smears of some of the blood, the killer pulled her shirt down, stabbed her and then pulled it up again."

"That is sick. Is that what killed her?" Trina asked.

"No, cause of death was strangulation. And I found multiple ligature marks around her neck. I also found vomit on her clothes, mixed with the blood." Dolph paused. "Whoever killed her, choked her, let her regain consciousness, then choked her again. Either because they were incompetent or because they were sadistic."

"This poor woman. I can't imagine what she went through." Trina shook her head.

"There's more." Dolph said. "I ran a pelvic exam. She had been vaginally violated with a foreign object."

"Oh my god." Trina paled.

"I can't tell exactly what was used. But she had vaginal tearing and bruising. No signs of semen, lubricant or spermicide." Dolph said. "Whatever was forced inside of her, did a lot of damage."

"Any chance this was a guy that was rough or overly endowed?" Trina asked.

"No, I know forced rape from body parts. The bruising on her vaginal walls and cervix clearly come from a foreign object." Dolph said.

"This is savage. I never thought I would encounter a case like this." Trina said.

"Me either. This is…. damn, I don't even know what to think." Steve sighed.

"Whoever did this, we have to get them off the streets. They are dangerous. They are sadistic." Trina said. "Dolph, fix this lady up as best as you can. She has been through enough and when we find her family, they don't need to see the extent of what was done to her. Their grief will be bad enough. Make her look as normal as you can."

"I will." Dolph assured her. "Her pain is over. We'll take care of her now."

Steve smiled, seeing how much Trina cared for the unknown woman. "Dolph is the best." He took her hand. "Come on, we have work to do. Dolph, if you find out anything else, call us."

"I will. I don't want any more cases like this one." He said.

1830 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station, ready to go home for the day. He had faxed the fingerprints to Charleston, caught his team up on the autopsy results and finished up everything he could for the day. Trina was sitting at her desk looking over her notes and Seth was watching something on his laptop.

"How's everything going here?" Steve asked as he sat down across from his wife.

"I am about to body slam Seth through his desk because he is listening to the Cubs pre-game over there." Trina said.

"So to answer your question, everything is normal." Seth chuckled.

"Anything new on the case?" Trina asked her husband.

"Nothing yet. Dolph fixed her face up enough to take some photos to compare against missing persons' cases." Steve said.

"I have been sitting here going over this case and the Curtis case. How could we have two such strange cases so close together? And add on top of it we have had no clues come in about Dana Brook." She sighed. "Three cases and not a clue about any of them."

"Could they be connected?" Seth asked. "I mean we did have girls reporting being followed and crude propositions."

"Our Jane Doe isn't Dana Brook. And that still wouldn't explain Curtis' murder. He is a guy. The creepers were targeting females." Trina looked over her notes.

"Maybe the Curtis case isn't related." Steve offered.

"I don't know. Nothing shows a pattern." She sighed.

"Don't get obsessed. Progress will come in time. I know you are frustrated but obsessing won't help." Steve told her.

"I can't help it. Strange shit has been happening for a few weeks now. Nothing adds up but everything is strange. It's like…. part of the puzzle is missing or something." She looked up at him.

"Listen to Steve and stop obsessing." Seth told her. "It won't do any of us any good if you can't focus."

"See there, even Seth agrees with me." Steve said.

"And if you don't stop obsessing Steve is going to start cheering for the Cubs." Seth winked.

"Am not! I don't want kicked out of bed and made to sleep on the couch." Steve rolled his eyes as Seth laughed.

"I suppose we should go on home. Not much else is going to get accomplished today." She said.

"Tomorrow we'll be headed to Huntington to look through Johnny Curtis' apartment. Chief made all the arrangements." Seth said.

"I think I will tag along for that one." Steve said. "You wanna go for a drink at Almost Heaven before heading home? It's been a long day."

"No, someone owes me a backrub and I intend to collect." She smiled.

"Oh great, she'll come in tomorrow with that glow on her face." Seth laughed.

"You're just jealous because I have a great sex life and all you have is the Cubs." Trina said.

"Very funny. I'll remember that in October when I am celebrating a World Series victory." Seth said.

"You're gonna celebrate for another team? How nice of you." She shot back.

"Come on, you can fuss with Seth in the morning." Steve laughed.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Decided to update while I could and still had power. So far no serious damage from the hurricane but the neighboring counties have declared a state of emergency. Guess I am just in the right place for now. Again, thank you everyone for the positive thoughts during this scary weather and as always thank you for the great reviews. You guys are awesome. Nixystix (A bit of fluff is needed every now and then.) Batistasprincess (I am safe for now and my county has no evac orders yet so fingers crossed.) jcott3 (Back in the day we had so much flooding from Hurricane Ivan that I missed a week of college courses.) reikat (When he originally did the Crow gimmick, I was mad as fire. I didn't like it and wanted my surfer back. Then I got over it and eventually came to love the Crow persona.) Carlyrosanna83 (Glad you enjoyed it.)_


	11. Curtis Investigation

July 28th, 0930 Hours

Steve, Layfield and Trina walked into Johnny Curtis' apartment. They had driven to Huntington that morning and spoken with the building manager who gave them the key. The apartment was small, only four rooms. But it was well kept and neat.

"Where do we start?" John asked.

"Trina, you take the bedroom. John, you help me with the living room. We'll take it from there." Steve said.

"Remember, anything you can find about people he was going to meet, or this modeling agency he called." Trina said.

Trina walked into the bedroom and began looking around. She opened the closet and found several dance costumes. There were several rows of different dance shoes. And of course he had regular street clothes.

She closed the closet and walked over to the dresser. She began looking through drawers for anything that would clue them into who Johnny was involved with before his death. But all she found was clothes. She sighed and looked around the room, seeing a nightstand beside the bed. She sat down on the bed and opened it, looking inside. She frowned when she found condoms.

"I thought he was single?" she said to herself. "Then again, he might have been having casual flings."

She closed the drawer, wondering if maybe he had messed with the wrong guy's wife or girlfriend. She got down to check under the bed but found nothing there. She stood up and frowned again, annoyed at not finding anything of use.

She walked out into the living room to find the guys still looking around. She shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Looking around she noticed a post-it note on the fridge. She walked over and pulled it off the fridge. 'Saturday 3pm. Kevin.'

"Hey guys, I might have found something." Trina walked back into the living room.

"Us too. Found a phone number written by the phone." John said.

"He had an appointment with someone named Kevin." Trina held up the post-it.

Steve pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number on the paper by the phone. He frowned and then redialed.

"It's out of service." He said.

"Modeling agency go out of business already?" John suggested.

"If that is even who this was supposed to call. We need to track this number and see who it used to belong to." Steve said.

"Looks like we got more work to do." Trina said.

1500 Hours

Jerry walked out of his office and looked at John and Trina working at their desks. They had both been working non-stop since returning from Huntington.

"Found anything yet?" he asked his team.

"Nothing of use. That number was to a cell phone that was owned by a John Smith. He had all the proper identification to get the phone contract but... apparently it was an alias." Trina said.

"He doesn't check out?" Jerry asked.

"No, I tracked all the information given by the cell phone company and none of it checks out." John said.

"So someone with a false ID buys a cell phone and has already had it shut off." Jerry groaned. "At least we know we are on the right track. That is very suspicious behavior."

"Well whoever John Smith was, he bought the phone early June in Ashland, Kentucky. The first month's bill was never paid and the phone was shut off. All attempts at bill collecting has failed." Trina said.

"I did some digging in newspapers around Cabell county and surrounding counties. For one week in the middle of June, Huntington newspaper ran an ad advertising for models with this mystery phone number." John said. "I spoke to staff at the paper. The ad was placed over the internet and paid for by a pre-paid card."

"More proof someone is trying to cover their tracks." Jerry frowned.

"I also spoke to the cell phone company. This phone was pinging off towers all over the state. Whoever this guy was, he doesn't stay anywhere long." Trina said.

"A lot of work that hasn't given you very much." Jerry said. "Stay with it. See what else you can find. Try tracking that pre-paid card."

"On it." John said.

"Good job guys. Don't give up yet." Jerry told them.

Jerry walked back into his office. John looked over to see Trina deep in thought.

"What are you thinking? I can hear the wheels turning in your head." John asked.

"Someone went to a lot of trouble to get a phone, advertise a fake modeling agency…the question is why?" she asked.

"And how many people responded to this modeling thing? Surely Curtis wasn't the only one." John said.

"You know, Johnny Curtis is a male. Otherwise I would think this guy was like a Harvey Glatman or Rodney Alcala. Finding victims by posing as a photographer." She frowned.

"Well hopefully we can get some answers. So far we don't have much to go on."

1900 Hours

Seth was sitting at his desk, trying to look up missing persons that matched their Jane Doe found tied to the tree. John had gone home to spend time with his wife before she left on a business trip so Trina had stayed late, still not willing to give up the search on Johnny Curtis.

He heard retching and coughing coming from the small locker room. He stood up and walked over to the doorway.

"Trina, are you okay?" Seth called in to her.

She didn't answer, just continued coughing and gagging. Seth walked in and found her kneeling in one of the bathroom stalls, vomiting into a toilet. He walked over and rubbed her back as finally the vomiting stopped.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, dinner just didn't sit well with me." She shrugged.

"You are stressing yourself out over the last couple cases. You are making yourself sick. You have to slow down a bit." He helped her stand up.

"You may be right. Don't mention this to Steve. I don't want him to worry. Especially since he has to go out of town next week for a conference in Atlanta." Trina told him.

"You promise to slow down and quit making yourself sick?" Seth crossed his arms.

"I'll try." She said and walked over to the sink.

"Just take it easy. I do worry about you." Seth told her.

She rinsed her mouth out and splashed some cold water on her face. "I appreciate it. Now if you would stop cheering for the Cubs, I could appreciate it more."

"Where is the fun in that?" Seth asked. "I finally have something that truly drives you insane."

"You always find something to drive me crazy. This is just the latest." She chuckled.

"Go on home and get some rest. You won't find out anything else tonight. Go home and spend time with your husband." Seth told her.

She nodded. "Okay, you win. I will go home. Steve probably has the twins over working on the barn."

"Good kitten." He winked.

"I am gonna strangle you." She rolled her eyes as she walked out of the locker room.

"Admit it, I was a good master." Seth followed her.

"I guess you could've been worse. You could've been violent or made me listen to Taylor Swift." She said.

"Leave my future wife alone." Seth said.

"Your chances of marrying her are about as good as Karen Angle marrying Layfield." Trina laughed. "I will see you in the morning. Call if you need anything."

"You know, with you being a newlywed, I am surprised I haven't heard some dirty stuff when I have had to call you at home." Seth smirked.

Trina laughed as she gathered her things to go home for the night.

2100 Hours

Trina creeped into the bathroom, not wanting to be heard. She could hear the shower running. Slowly, she reached up and grabbed the shower curtain. She pulled it back and giggled when Steve turned around startled.

"What are you doing?"

"Just admiring the view." She winked.

"You getting in?"

"No, I showered while you were still working on the barn." She chuckled.

"So this is teasing?"

"Maybe, or maybe I just enjoy looking at my husband." She giggled again.

He laughed. "I will be out in a few minutes."

She closed the shower curtain again and walked back out to the bedroom. Jack looked up at her and watched every move she made. She climbed into bed and picked up her book from the nightstand.

Jack jumped up on the bed and laid over her lap.

"Jack, no. Get down." She told him. He just stared at her. "What is the matter with you? You never give me a hard time."

The water shut off. Jack looked over at the bathroom.

"Get down. Jack, go!" she told him. Again he just stayed there.

"Trina, everything okay?" Steve called to her.

"Jack is acting weird again." Trina said. "I swear he must be going through a stubborn phase or something."

Steve walked out of the bathroom, towel around his waist. Jack immediately jumped down from the bed. Trina looked at the coydog like he had lost his mind.

"Maybe it is a jealousy thing. Animals can react to life changes. Now that we are married and I am here all the time, he is a bit jealous." Steve offered as he pulled on sleep pants.

"But you were here so much even before we got married. Who knows?" she shrugged.

"I am glad he is so protective of you. Gives me less I have to worry about when I go out of town. God help anyone that tries to hurt you with Jack around." Steve chuckled as he climbed into bed.

"Who would want to bother me way out here on the farm anyway? Joe is in jail, and he was the only one dumb enough to try anything out here." She said.

"Still, with this being a tourist area, never know when someone will wander out this way looking for an easy house to rob." Steve said.

"You looking forward to Atlanta?" she asked.

"A little bit. It is a three-day conference. I just wish you could go with me." He smiled at her.

"Me in Atlanta? I would go down to Turner Field and curse those idiots for trading away their good players, firing a good manager after giving him no talent to win with, and what the hell do they need a new stadium for anyway? Turner Field is only 20 years old!" Trina said. "I gotta spend less time with Seth. Too much baseball."

"Braves used to be quite the team back in the day." Steve said.

"Yeah, they had a starting rotation to die for. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz. Those were good times." Trina agreed.

"I'll see if I can find any of their merchandise for you while I am there." Steve kissed her.

"Don't forget Chipper Jones. He might have the morals of a maggot but he sure could play ball." She chuckled.

"You and your dad really watched a lot of baseball. I can tell." Steve smiled.

"Oh yeah. I was the poster child for a 'daddy's girl'. But when it came to baseball, even mom got in on the act. She had a huge crush on Orel Hershiser when he played for the Indians." She chuckled.

"He was a hero in LA. The whole city went nuts when he set that scoreless innings record in 1988." Steve yawned.

"Oh yeah, you got to be there for that. Was it as exciting as I think when Kirk Gibson hit that homerun in game one of the world series?" Trina asked.

"I admit, I was a bit of a pessimist about the whole thing. I thought LA didn't have a prayer against Oakland. I thought that game one was a fluke." Steve admitted.

"I'll miss you while you are in Atlanta." Trina said.

"I'll miss you too. Luckily it is only for a few days. And the guys will keep an eye on you."

"Yeah and Naomi is going to hang out too." Trina said.

"Get some rest. Today was a long day." Steve kissed her.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _I apologize for the long delay. Apparently I spoke too soon in my last update. Hurricane Matthew hit with a vengeance. I have been out of work for three weeks due to damage, trying to help some friends that lost everything due to the hurricane, the area is a mess. I was lucky that I only lost a few trees and was without power for a few days. But I am finally getting back into a normal routine which includes writing. Thank you for your patience and well wishes. Paisley2 (This world series is going to be a hoot to write. The antics should be great either way. And I am kinda proud that I have stumped you as you are tough to stump. I just hope when all is revealed it will not turn out to be disappointing.) nixystix (I am glad you are so interested in this story and the ongoing case. I still like his surfer gimmick better, but I admit as he got older it would've been goofy so it was good he evolved.) batistasprincess (Interesting theory, glad you are thinking. You are the only one that has said that.) reikat (Yes, there are many tangles to this case, glad you are keeping up. And I am such a Sting fan he could stand in the ring picking his nose and I would still cheer. LOL) jcott3 (You always keep track of the cameos, I love it. A few twists coming soon.) carlyrosanna83 (I have plans for Seth but I fear people might hunt me down over them, LOL.) Debwood-1999 (You sound like my mom with the weather channel. When it hit big time and we lost phone service and power, she was in full blown panic until I could call the next day when things calmed down and tell her I was safe. And I think you will be surprised when the case progresses.)_


	12. Flood Water

_**Note-**_ _The state of WV did experience massive flooding during summer 2016. However, I did change the month it happened._

August 2nd, 0500 Hours

"Trina, is your area cleared?" Jerry asked over the radio.

"Yeah, everyone near the Blackwater River has evacuated into town. I sent them to the high school and the middle school." She radioed back.

Heavy rainfall over 24 hours had caused major flooding in the state of WV. 44 counties had declared a state of emergency as waters rose all over the state.

"Hell of a time for Steve to be out of state." Seth walked up next to her.

"He left late Sunday. I am glad he is missing this." She said. "We better get out of here, the water is rising fast. Rangers have evacuated the park."

"Is water covering the road?" Seth asked.

"I think we are okay. All police and fire departments are out. No one has reported this area having covered roads but we better hurry." She said.

"Trina! Seth!" they heard.

"Sounds like someone is still here." Seth said.

Both of them flashed their lights around the area. Suddenly out of the darkness came running Bray Wyatt and he was carrying a small deer.

"Bray, what are you doing here?" Trina asked.

"Trying to help the animals move to safety. Some get stuck in mud or caught by surprise." Bray said.

"Are you crazy?" Seth nearly yelled.

"What is wrong with the deer?" Trina ignored Seth.

"She has a deformed leg and couldn't get away from the water fast enough. I pulled her out but could not find the mother. From the looks of her I would say she is a late fawn. She'll die out here." Bray told her.

"No she won't. You can ride back into town with us. If we can't find Roman, I am sure one of the farmers can help. Is she calm enough to ride in a vehicle?" Trina asked.

"She'll be fine. She trusts you and she senses your gift." Bray assured them.

"The things I get into being your friend." Seth said to Trina. "Come on, if I argue you will leave me to drown."

"Come on Bray, we got some extra blankets in the SUV." Trina began running towards the vehicle.

The rain was coming down in sheets and despite the rain coats, they were soaked. She opened the back of the SUV and grabbed a blanket. Bray hurried over carrying the fawn. She helped him wrap the blanket around the baby deer and opened the back door for him to climb in. Seth jumped in the driver's seat as she hurried to get in the passenger seat.

"Are you okay? Were you hurt or anything?" Trina asked Bray as Seth started the SUV and began carefully driving back towards town.

"I am fine. Just wet and cold." He told her. "You make sure you get warmed up as soon as possible. You shouldn't get sick."

Trina raised an eyebrow. "I will as soon as I can. Hopefully everyone listens to the evacuation orders."

"Do you think the little deer can be helped? Or is this a problem that means she needs to be put down?" Seth asked.

"Something is wrong with one of her front legs. I am sure even if it is permanent, that we can find a safe place for her." Bray said.

"Of course we can. Besides, if she gets too used to humans she might not be able to return to the wild. As soon as the weather lets up I will call about getting the permits you need to keep her while she heals or whatever." Trina shook off her hood.

"Middle of a flood, out in the middle of the night in cold rain and what I am doing…rescuing Bambi." Seth shook his head.

"Oh hush, she is the hottest date you have had since I was a kitten." Trina said.

"This flood is going to bring sorrow." Bray said.

Trina turned and looked at him. "Well of course, there will be loss of homes, crops and possibly people. And we're lucky. Tucker county isn't getting it as bad as the rest of the state. Webster county has about washed off the map from the reports coming in."

"Sorrow not made by nature." Bray said.

"Bray, do you know something?" Seth asked.

"Who…I do not know. But it is there." Bray said.

Seth and Trina looked at each other, then shrugged. They were used to Bray's strange yammering.

"Roman is bound to be overrun with injured animals from this flood. I am not sure where to start looking for him." Seth said.

"His clinic is not in the flood zone, he might be there." She said.

"Does Steve know about the flooding?" Seth asked.

"If he has turned on the news he does. I will call him as soon as I can. Last thing I need is a worried husband. The creek is far enough from the farm, it should be okay. Hell, I'll take the goats in the house if I have to."

0645 Hours

Trina walked out of the locker room, having just taken a shower to warm up and changed into dry clothes. Seth was at his desk downing coffee after cleaning up.

"Trina, there you are. Call that husband of yours. He called here to check on you after seeing the news when he got up this morning and he isn't gonna be happy until he talks to you." Seth said.

"That is so cute. Okay I will call him. Did Bray get settled okay?" she asked.

"I dropped him off at the animal clinic. Roman was there with some locals that had injured animals." Seth said. "Can you believe that crazy man out in the woods in the dark trying to save wild animals?"

"It is Bray, what do you expect? But I am glad he was able to help the little deer. Animals get afraid too you know." Trina sat down.

"Why do I get the feeling when we are all old and in the nursing home, you and Bray will be sneaking off together to feed ducks and squirrels?" Seth laughed.

"While you are busy trying to chase ladies around with your walker." Trina laughed.

Trina picked up her phone and dialed Steve's number. It barely rang when he picked up. "Trina, are you okay? I am watching the news and it looks as if the whole state is under water."

"Baby, I am fine. I just came in a bit ago. Chief has us taking a mandatory rest. We've been out most of the night." She assured him.

"How about the farm? Is everything okay?" he asked. "Do you want me to fly home?"

"Steve, I am fine, the farm is fine. You should stay for your conference." Trina smiled. "How is Atlanta?"

"It's fine here. It is you that I am worried about. The news looks bad." Steve said.

"I am fine. The national guard is coming in to help. All the police and firemen are working. We haven't had any casualties. If there was anything to worry about, I would tell you. Or Seth would tell you. Or the twins would tell you." She chuckled.

"Just keep me updated. I don't like being so far away from you with a natural disaster happening." Steve said.

"Everything is fine. I promise. The rain is supposed to end soon and then it will just be clean up and recovery. The governor has already called a state of emergency and all the proper steps are being taken." She assured him. "But it is cute how you worry about me."

"Doesn't feel very cute." Steve sighed.

"I know. I am sorry you can't be here so you'll feel better. But I can take care of myself. I survived the big flood in 1985. And I got the others here with me." She said. "And Bray saved a baby deer."

"And considering how strange that man is, I am not even shocked." Steve said. "Look, as soon as this conference is over I am flying home."

"Okay, but at least stay for your conference. And I will keep you updated as much as possible." She assured him. "I miss you. With you gone, Jack is acting strange."

"Maybe it is the weather. They say animals react to the weather. And I miss you too." Steve said.

"I am gonna get diabetes over here." Seth groaned.

"And Seth says he misses you too." Trina smirked.

"You're hilarious." Seth rolled his eyes.

Steve laughed. "Everything must be okay if you and Seth are bantering."

"We wouldn't be us otherwise." She laughed. "Have a good day. I love you."

"Love you too. Talk to you tonight." Steve hung up.

"Has Chandler calmed down?" Seth asked.

"Don't make me lock you out in the rain." She said.

"This coffee of yours is about to kill me as it is." Seth frowned.

"I like strong coffee." She rolled her eyes.

"Strong is one thing, yours they could use to dissolve metal." Seth said.

"I am going to take a nap. Wake me up when our break is over." She stood up and walked to the break room.

1500 Hours

"Rain has stopped but the water is still high in some areas." Layfield came in from being on patrol.

"Still no reports of fatalities. We are just waiting for the water to go down." Seth said.

"I hope that is soon. The temporary shelters are crowded and people are restless." Trina said.

"Water should recede enough by tomorrow that everyone can return home. In the meantime, we just have to put in long hours." Jerry said. "Rest as needed. None of you are any good to me if you get sick or weak."

"Look at the bright side, John. The flood has forced Karen Angle to behave." Trina giggled.

"Thank god for that. I might have drowned her if I had to go out in this mess just for her stupid antics." John sighed.

"But just think, with school starting soon, she is bound to get up to her old tricks." Seth laughed.

"Don't remind me." John groaned.

"At least we never lost power. A lot of the state lost power." Seth said.

"We didn't get hit nearly as bad as the rest of the state. Have you seen the reports coming in from New River Gorge? It is horrible." Trina said.

"Well, we will get through it. People in this state are tough." John said.

The door opened and they looked up to see the Uso twins walk into the station.

"Hey boys, what brings you over here?" Trina asked.

"We are checking on our sister-in-law." Jey said.

"Why are you checking on me?" Trina chuckled.

"Me as a favor to Steve." Jey said.

"Me as a favor to Naomi." Jimmy said.

"Well as you can see I am okay." She rolled her eyes. "That man worries about me too much….kinda cute."

"Oh brother." Seth laid his head down on his desk.

"Well Naomi has nagged me all day. 'Steve is out of town, make sure Trina is okay. Should we go check on her? What if she slips in the mud while feeding the goats?' I swear she was ready to drive over here herself." Jimmy laughed.

"Is she okay? I am sure as a member of the town council she is up to her eyes in stuff over this flood." Trina asked.

"She is busy arranging some food for the guard volunteers and finding extra blankets for the shelters." Jimmy said.

"How bad is the damage over in Parsons?" John asked.

"Not as bad as 1985, just some water on a few roads, and a few trees down." Jey said.

Jerry walked out of his office. "Sorry guys, just got a call from the park rangers. Foley says they just pulled a body out of the water around the falls. Dolph is on his way out there. You guys better go too."

"Someone that drown in the flood?" Seth asked.

"We're not sure yet, but you know procedures. Until proven otherwise every death is treated as a potential crime scene. Go on, take extra rain gear and be careful. If you run into high water, wait. I don't want any dead officers." Jerry said.

1630 Hours

Seth, Trina and Dolph carefully walked down towards the Blackwater Falls, being careful to avoid the flooded areas.

"There is so much mud out here. Watch your step." Seth yelled.

"Easier said than done. This light rain is just enough to be a pain." Trina complained as they walked up on the rangers standing around, dressed in heavy rain gear.

"What can you tell us?" Dolph asked as he set his kit down.

"We saw a body floating near the falls while on a routine patrol. Immediately went into rescue mode but could tell she was dead. We pulled her out of the water and called you guys." Foley explained.

The officers looked to see a naked and bloated female body. The female had long black hair and looked as if she had been in the water quite awhile.

"She could have drown and floated downstream. The rain has the water high and moving fast." Tommy Rich told them.

Dolph knelt down and began a quick exam of the body. "Something isn't right here."

"What is it?" Seth asked.

"She has two fingers missing on her left hand." Dolph said.

"Is it possible they were caught on something and ripped off? She could've encountered anything in those flood waters." Trina suggested.

Dolph looked closer. "I don't think so. Cut is too clean, through the bone. Neatly severed. This was done with a tool of some kind. I won't know what until I can look closer at the morgue."

"Did you find any clothing?" Trina asked the rangers.

"No, but with these fast currents that is no surprise." Foley answered.

"Has anyone reported a missing camper? Or called in asking about a missing female?" Seth asked.

"No, we evacuated the park last night." Foley said.

"That was a long shot anyway. She could've entered the water anywhere upstream and been carried down here." Seth said.

"I need to get her to the morgue. I won't be able to tell anything out here. All this rain and mud, it is a real mess." Dolph said. "And with her being in that river, we probably lost any forensic evidence that may have been left behind."

"I'll help you." Seth said. "Trina, call in to the chief and let him know we most likely have a homicide. Give a description of her so John can start looking through missing person files or compare her to anyone reported lost in the flood."

"I'm on it." She nodded.

2000 Hours

"This feels weird, I am used to being here with Steve." Trina said to John as they walked into the morgue.

"I know you miss him." John smiled.

"I do. But I am glad that he is in Atlanta. At least I don't have to worry about him in the floods." Trina said.

They walked into the exam room and Dolph looked up at them. They could see the woman pulled out of the water laying on a table, covered by a sheet up to her shoulders.

"Tell us what you found. Is she a flood victim?" John asked.

"Definitely not. Her lungs and stomach showed no signs of drowning. She is a homicide victim. And from the abuse she suffered, I am willing to bet the farm that she is linked to our Jane Doe found tied to a tree." Dolph said.

"West Virginia is being washed away, my husband is out of town, the Cubs are winning again and now this." Trina sighed. "Okay, let's start with the basics."

"Caucasian female, black hair, dark eyes. Five feet, eight inches tall, approximately 120-125 pounds. Based on bones I would say she is about 25-30 years old. Skin was horribly waterlogged so I had a hard time getting prints but managed to get one from her right thumb." Dolph said.

"Can you tell us how long she has been dead?" Trina asked.

"Based on my exam, I would say about 72 hours, long before the flooding started. I think she may have been dumped somewhere and the water washed her away." Dolph said.

"She is very pale. Is that from the water?" Trina asked.

"Partially, but I would say in life she was a very pale person. Possibly into a goth lifestyle or maybe had a UV allergy and had to avoid sunlight." Dolph said.

"Cause of death?" Trina asked.

"Perforated bowels from being sodomized with a foreign object." Dolph sighed. "I have done a lot of autopsies but this is a first."

"How does that even happen?" John was stunned.

"Someone used a lot of force and a sharp foreign object. Possibly a fire poker or something similar." Dolph said.

"What about her missing fingers?" Trina asked.

"Ring and index fingers have been cut from her left hand. The cut is clean, bone is cut through with no ragged edges, almost surgical precision." Dolph said. "But those aren't the only strange injuries she has."

"What else?" John asked.

"When I did an oral exam I found that seven of her teeth had recently been extracted. Tox screen showed no signs of anesthesia or pain killers in her system. And there was not proper clotting before death. No dentist would let a patient leave until the bleeding was under control. Besides that, the rest of her teeth are healthy so I can find no reason why others would've been extracted." Dolph explained.

"Cutting off fingers, pulling out teeth. It's like that movie…you know the gory one where rich people pay to torture people." Trina frowned.

"Whoever killed her, also cut her tongue out." Dolph said.

"This is sick. This can't be a person from Tucker County." John said.

"Calaway and Heyman are locked up….we never thought murders like theirs could happen here either." Trina said.

"But no one new has moved to town. And no one already here would do this. We know everyone." John said.

"So we have two Jane Does, both tortured and murdered in ways that would scare the devil himself. Johnny Curtis murdered and nothing but dead ends trying to track down that modeling agency he was in contact with…..think we got an insane tourist that keeps hanging around?" Trina offered.

"Maybe. Or maybe someone a long distance driver, with the logging round here we have a lot of truck drivers." John sighed. "We better get back to the station and get to work on this."

"Let us know if you find anything else out." Trina said.

"I will. Let's get this guy. Autopsies like these are the hardest." Dolph frowned.

2300 Hours

Trina's cell phone was setting on her desk ringing. Seth looked up to check on her where she was asleep in the break room. He walked over and picked up her phone.

"Trina's phone, how may I help you?" Seth answered.

"Seth? What's going on? I tried calling Trina at the farm but didn't get an answer." Steve said.

"Everything is fine. She is safe and asleep in the break room. We pulled a homicide case and she fell asleep in the break room, that's all." Seth assured him.

"Another homicide?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, rangers pulled a dead girl out of the water at the falls. Not sure how she got into the water but autopsy showed she definitely was murdered." Seth said.

"How is Trina handling everything? I know how she gets during a homicide investigation." Steve was concerned.

"About the same as always. She has been working hard trying to figure stuff out. But with this flood, everything is chaotic right now." Seth explained.

"Be honest, do I need to come home? I don't feel comfortable being away from my wife and my team in the middle of a flood and a major cases." Steve said.

"I can't tell you what to do. But I promise, Trina is fine. And the cases will still be here when you get back." Seth said.

"Wait until you get married, you will worry about your wife too."

"Don't you ever tell Trina I said this, but I am so glad that you dote on her the way you do. After watching her go through everything with Joe….it is great to see her happy, smiling and with a guy that actually cares about her. But don't tell her I said that, I have an image to protect." Seth chuckled.

"You take care of her until I get back. I am going to change my flight and take the first one I can get once my commitment at the seminar is finished. I'll feel better getting home sooner." Steve said.

"Check driving routes back to Davis, you might have to fly into a different airport. We have a lot of roads closed, even major highways." Seth said.

"I will do that. Thanks for everything. Keep an eye on my lady. Let her know I called." Steve said.

"I will. Take care of yourself and try not to worry. West Virginia girls are tough." Seth smiled and hung up.

He walked over to the break room and peeked in the door. Trina was asleep on the small couch in the room. He took his jacket off one of the chairs and laid it over her. She didn't stir.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Thank you for all the reviews and positive encouragement. I am getting back in the swing of things and feel like I finally got my writing mojo back. And big things about to happen in this story so I am excited to be writing. Batistasprincess (Oh a few big things are coming!) Paisley2 (Glad you didn't waste good soda. And you may be the first one to admit to missing Karen. But don't worry…..things are in the works. LOL) jcott3 (I am glad you are keeping track of all things mentioned. And don't worry, I have plenty of World Series antics planned. What luck that the Cubs won while I was writing this story. Opens so many doors, LOL.) reikat (If I never have to go through another hurricane, it'll be too soon. Funniest part was all the teenagers 'bored' and 'upset' because they couldn't use computers, game consoles or charge their phones indoors. LOL) nixystix (My mom still picks on me because I cried like a fool when Sting retired/inducted into HOF. I am not giving up hope he comes back as something.)_


	13. Needless Assault

August 5th, 2100 Hours

Trina walked into the Davis station and found Seth watching TV in the break room. She walked to the back room and joined him. He looked up, startled to see her at work after she had left a few hours earlier.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked.

She shrugged. "I was restless out at the farm. I miss Steve."

"He will be home tomorrow afternoon." Seth smiled.

"I know, I just don't sleep as well without him. Jack keeps acting weird. I think he misses Steve too." She said. "So what is going on around here?"

"Not much. Oh, but Bray Wyatt called and left a message for you. The little fawn is okay. He has been nursing her the past few days and said he found a person downstate with the proper permits to keep deer and he is taking her there." Seth said.

"I am so glad. I am glad that Tucker is mostly back to normal after the flooding. Now is just clean up." She said.

"Other counties still in a mess. I heard Brad Paisley is donating a bunch of money to help." Seth said.

"That is good. Webster County got hit hard, New River area got hit hard. I hate floods." Trina sighed.

"How are your step-sons?" Seth asked.

"Good, Garrett called the other night to check on me when he heard about the floods out here." She started to explain but was cut off by the phone ringing.

Seth got up to answer it while she watched the news on the TV in the breakroom.

"Trina, come on, I will need you. That was one of the waitresses up at Almost Heaven. Big fight has broke out and Randy needs help getting it under control." Seth yelled.

Trina was on her feet in an instant and hurrying to run with Seth up the street.

"Any details? What are we walking into?" she asked.

"Waitress said there were three men in a fight, she didn't know about what. She mentioned one had a knife." Seth said.

"Why couldn't they thumb wrestle?" Trina sighed.

Trina and Seth looked in the door of the bar and saw Randy trying to split up the three men who were fighting. A few local men were attempting to help him. A few tables and chairs had been knocked over in the chaos.

"Pull service weapons, hopefully that will get them to settle down. If not we will try our tasers and spray." Seth said.

Trina nodded. They both pulled their weapons and carefully entered the building.

"Davis PD, stop where you are!" Seth yelled.

The three men stopped fighting and turned to look at the officers.

"We need you to put your hands on the back of your head and remain where you are. We will need to frisk you for weapons and put you in handcuffs." Trina said.

"If you feel you need medical attention, let us know and we will contact EMS." Seth said. "Trina, I'll frisk them and cuff them. You keep your gun on them."

"You got it." She nodded.

Seth put his gun away and walked over to the first man who was standing with Terry Allen who had tried helping Randy split up the fight. He was a tall and muscular African American man. He stood still and let Seth frisk him and handcuff him.

As Seth moved to the second man, the third man took off running towards the back of the bar.

"I'll go." Trina said as she took off running after him.

He ran down the back hallway of the bar, past the office and storage rooms.

"Stop, I don't want to use my taser!" she yelled.

The man with long dark hair kept running out the back emergency door of the building. Trina went out the door a few steps behind him and looked around, unable to see him. She kept her back to the building as she looked around.

"Shit!" she muttered as she looked around the employee parking lot.

She pulled out her flashlight and keeping her gun drawn began walking around the cars. She didn't hear footsteps so she knew the man had to have hidden in the parking lot. She walked down the row and when she reached the end, the man jumped from behind the dumpster and pushed her down. She dropped her flashlight and the man kicked at her hands trying to make her drop her gun.

"I ain't going to jail." He yelled, managing to kick the gun from her hand.

She reached for her taser, but the man punched her in the jaw, dazing her. Seeing she was disoriented, he turned to run but was met by a strong punch from Randy.

"That was a huge fucking mistake." Randy grabbed him to keep him from running further. "Couldn't just get charged for a fight, you had to add more charges."

"Seth?" Trina said.

"He's inside. Are you hurt?" Randy asked.

"I don't know." She blinked a few times.

"Shit! Stay where you are. I'll drag this sorry excuse for a man inside and call for EMS. No arguments." Randy said.

Randy dragged the man who was still attempting to struggle back into the building. When they entered the main room, Seth looked up expecting to see Trina with the third man.

"What happened?" Seth asked. "Where is Trina?"

"She got a little roughed up and is dazed. I am going to call EMS. You take care of these three." Randy said.

"I'll go check on Trina." Terry Allen volunteered.

"What did you do to her?" Seth glared at the man Randy was holding.

"She's fine. She was talking when this big gorilla punched me." He said.

"He should've hit you harder." Seth glared. "And you better hope she is okay. Our DA is pretty protective of his own people."

2330 Hours

Seth, Jerry and the twins were sitting in the waiting room of the ER waiting for news about Trina. Layfield was at the station sorting through the mess of the fight at Almost Heaven and the attack on Trina.

"How did you get Naomi to stay home?" Seth asked.

"She is out of town. She is in Charleston on business." Jimmy said.

Seth's cell phone rang. "Rollins."

"Seth, I think I got this mess sorted out. The three men fighting in the bar are all from out of town. Titus O'Neil, Drew Gulak and the asshole that attacked Trina is Brian Kendrick. Apparently, O'Neil and Gulak met at a campsite near the park and became good friends. Kendrick is staying at the same campsite and has been stealing from the other campers. When they saw Kendrick in the bar tonight, they confronted him. Kendrick pulled a knife and it became a brawl." John explained.

"Why did Kendrick run if it was just a bar room brawl?" Seth asked.

"We did a search of the employee parking lot behind the bar and we found a small bag with a few ounces of weed in it. When I confronted him with it, he finally admitted he has priors and was afraid you and Trina would find the marijuana on him." John sighed. "Honestly Seth, it is such a small amount that had he not attacked Trina, I would've looked the other way. It is barely worth wasting tax dollars on."

"Have you contacted Damien?" Seth asked.

"Taking care of that now. How is Trina?" John asked.

"We haven't heard anything from the doctor yet. But when she was brought in she was conscious and responding to questions." Seth said.

"Call me as soon as you know something." John said.

"Don't hurt this Kendrick idiot. I know we love Trina, but cops got a bad enough rep right now." Seth said.

"Oh I won't do anything to kill him." John promised.

Seth hung up the phone and looked up surprised to see Steve hurrying through the doors of the ER.

"Steve, what are you doing here?" Jey asked.

"I changed my flight to come home earlier. I didn't want to be away any longer considering all the flooding and stuff that has been going on." Steve said.

"How did you know to come here?" Jimmy asked.

"I arrived at the farm and no one was home. I headed to the station to see if Trina was working a case when I got a call from the hospital. I am her next of kin. Now what the hell happened?" he put his hands on his hips.

"Trina had come into the station because she was bored and missing you. Got a call about a fight at Almost Heaven so I asked her to come along. When we went to handcuff the men involved, one tried to run and she got roughed up." Seth explained.

"Roughed up? How bad?" Steve asked.

"From what Randy and Trina said, the guy kicked her and punched her." Jerry said.

"Is she okay? Where is the doctor?" Steve asked.

"They haven't come out to talk to us yet. But she was alert and could answer questions." Jerry said. "Try to calm down."

Steve took a deep breath. "Easier said than done. My bride was hurt and I wasn't there."

"You are now. And Randy and Terry Allen helped to make sure she was okay until EMS arrived while I dealt with the guys from the fight." Seth said.

"Are you okay? Were you hurt?" Steve asked.

"I am fine. By the way, Randy punched the guy that attacked Trina. He has no tolerance for bullshit and looks out for the ladies at his bar." Seth said.

"She will be fine. Trina is a tough lady." Jimmy assured him.

"I know, but….damn I didn't realize it would be this hard being in love with a cop. My first wife wasn't in law enforcement." Steve sat down.

"She worries about you too." Seth sat down beside him. "This week she actually said she was glad you were out of town so she wouldn't have to worry about you in the floods."

"How long has she been back there?" Steve asked.

"About 30 minutes, try to calm down." Jerry said.

"I just want to see her." Steve said.

"I am sure they will be out soon." Jey told him.

August 6th, 0100 Hours

"What is taking so long? It has been hours." Steve was started to pace.

"I am sure they will be out any minute. They are probably just checking her out from head to toe and filling out the paperwork for the police report." Jerry said.

"They got another 15 minutes and then I am demanding some answers. I thought you guys said she wasn't hurt that bad?" Steve asked.

"She didn't seem to be. Honestly, I wouldn't lie to you about her." Seth said.

"I know. I just hate this waiting." Steve sighed.

"Look, there comes Dr. Von Erich now." Jerry said as Kerry Von Erich walked out through the doors.

"Doctor, what can you tell me about my wife? Is everything okay?" Steve immediately asked.

"Mr. Borden, I apologize for the delay….we had an unexpected complication come up." Kerry told them. "Mrs. Borden has been moved upstairs to a regular room. We wanted to keep her overnight just to be sure no problems arise."

"But she is okay right?" Steve asked.

"Mrs. Borden does not have a concussion but she does have some bruising on her face. Her jaw and teeth are fine. Her hands have several cuts and abrasions only one required stitches." Dr. Von Erich explained.

"Anything else?" Steve asked.

"She has a few other bruises but nothing serious." The doctor smiled. "Mrs. Borden and the baby are going to be just fine."

"What? What baby?" Steve asked.

Dr. Von Erich smiled again. "Congratulations, Mrs. Borden is expecting. When she was brought in before we could do any x-rays we ran a routine pregnancy test."

"A baby? She's pregnant?" Steve was stunned.

"The baby wasn't hurt was it?" Jimmy asked.

"We have monitored her for any bleeding and our on-call obstetrician has examined her. She shows no signs of miscarriage, but we want to continue to monitor her overnight to be sure." Kerry explained. "You can go upstairs and see her."

"Thank you." Steve mumbled, still in shock.

Dr. Von Erich turned and walked back towards the examining rooms, leaving the five men alone.

"Trina is pregnant. I….we….we didn't plan it. Not yet." Steve said.

"Are you upset?" Jey asked.

"No…just surprised." Steve said.

"A little Trina and Steve running around, can you believe it?" Seth laughed. "Damn, you work fast."

"I guess I should go up and see her. Let me have a few minutes alone with her." Steve looked at them.

"Sure thing papa bear." Jey smirked.

Steve got in the elevator and rode upstairs. He stopped at the nurses station and asked which room Trina was in. After being pointed in the right direction, he walked down the hall and found her room. He looked in the door and saw her sitting up in her bed looking out the window. He could see the bandages on her fingers and the bruising on her face.

"Trina?" he called her name softly.

She looked up at him surprised. "Steve? What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be home until tomorrow."

"I changed my travel plans. With the flooding and all I wanted to get home earlier." He walked into the room. "Glad I did. You have a way of getting into trouble."

"I guess so. I am glad you are here." She smiled.

Steve sat down on the bed beside her and gently traced the bruises on her face. "You in much pain?" He hugged her.

"Nothing too bad. Listen, we need to talk." She pulled back. "Did you speak with the doctor?"

"Yes, Dr. Von Erich told me about your injuries and that you were being kept overnight." He kissed her forehead. "And that you are going to be a mommy."

She looked up at him. "How do you feel about that? We knew we wanted children at some point but this wasn't planned."

"I love you and I couldn't be happier." He smiled.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do. A baby with my wife…it is wonderful." He smiled. "Did you suspect you were pregnant?"

"No, I didn't. I guess with all the strange cases lately and everything I just lost track of my cycle. But the doctor says that is why I have been so tired lately and my appetite has been crazy." Trina said.

"So how far along are you? When is the baby due?" Steve hugged her.

"The doctor thinks about 6 weeks. I need to choose an OB and make an appointment." She said. "I am so glad that you are happy about the baby."

"I told you I wanted more children and I meant it." He smiled. "I can't wait to tell the boys."

"How are they going to react? Steven especially voiced concerns about us having children." She frowned.

"I am sure they will be happy about it. A little brother or sister…and they can spoil it so much because they are older." He chuckled.

"I hope so. I don't want them to feel they are being replaced or anything." She said.

"Knock knock, can we come in?" Jerry stepped in the door.

"Yeah, come on in guys." Trina smiled to them.

Seth and the twins followed Jerry into the room. Seth immediately frowned when he saw the bruises on her face.

"Damn, I didn't realize he got you that bad." Seth said.

"It is going to be okay. Just some bruises. What was his problem anyway?" she asked.

"He was hiding a small amount of marijuana. But enough about that. I hear we have a little one on the way." Jerry smiled.

"Yeah, totally caught me by surprise." She giggled.

"I am going to be an uncle. I am going to buy him his first Playboy magazine in 13 years." Seth smiled.

"What if it is a girl?" Jey asked.

"I'll buy her her first Tiger Beat magazine." Seth winked.

"Naomi is going to be so excited." Jimmy said.

"Do you want a boy or girl?" Jey asked.

"Doesn't matter as long as it is healthy." Trina said. "And they are not allowed to cheer for the Cubs."

"Don't worry, I'll raise them right when it comes to baseball." Seth said.

"Oh brother. Seth, she is pregnant, try not to stress her out." Steve said.

"He'd have to move out of state." Jerry chuckled.

"We should let Trina get some rest. Been a crazy night and my niece or nephew needs his rest." Seth said.

"We're just a phone call away if you need anything." Jerry told her.

"And no more caffeine." Jimmy said.

"Suddenly I am not so sure about this." Trina sighed.

"I am going to stay with her. You guys go on home." Steve said.

"Okay, call if you need anything." Jey told them.

0800 Hours

Steve sat in the chair beside the bed checking his messages as Trina slept. Nurses had been checking her through the night and she hadn't slept as well as he had hoped. Jimmy had apparently told Naomi about the pregnancy because she had been sending Steve excited texts for ten minutes and was already carrying on about a baby shower and shopping.

"Steve?" she opened her eyes.

"Right here." He took her hand.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"A little after 8am. How you feel?" he asked.

She lifted the sheets and pulled up her gown looking for any bleeding. "No miscarriage….I am fine."

"Little one is tough, cop mama and detective daddy." Steve smiled.

"They need to stop making me so tired all the time." She complained.

"Just part of pregnancy. You will adjust." Steve assured her.

"I hope so. When can I go home? This bed is about as comfortable as a rock." She frowned.

"I am sure the doctor will be around soon. In the meantime, you want something to eat?"

"No, food sounds really unappetizing." She said. "How bad do I look?"

"You are gorgeous. Don't worry about your bruises." He assured her.

"I just feel….I can't explain it." She frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"I feel mad at myself that I didn't handle that guy better. And then the shock of finding out I am pregnant when we weren't even trying. It's all just…too much or something." She said.

"Baby, all of us scuffle with a suspect from time to time. Don't worry about it. It is part of the job." He sat down on the bed with her. "Do you want the baby? You are happy about it right?"

"Yeah, I always wanted children and I want to have your children. It's just…out of no where and unexpected." She said.

"You have been through a lot in a short time. You need a few days off and rest." Steve said.

"You're right." She smiled.

He pulled her against him. "I know you are kinda scared. That is natural. You don't know exactly what to expect, you will have to adjust and your life is gonna change. That is scary. But I will help you every step of the way."

"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you." She snuggled against him.

"If it makes you feel better, I am nervous too and this is the third time I have done this." Steve kissed her forehead.

1000 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station, finding John and Seth at their desks but Jerry was no where around.

"Papa Borden!" Seth called. "What brings you here?"

"Just trying to get caught up on work, see what I can find out about the girl you pulled out of the river." Steve said.

"Where is Mama Borden?" Seth asked.

"Still at the hospital. The obstetrician wanted to check her out very thoroughly and make sure the baby was okay and make some recommendations for a good doctor for Trina. And go over with Trina what to expect in her first trimester." Steve sat down across from John.

"I got something for you!" Seth smiled. He handed Steve a cigar. "Congratulations dad!"

"Thanks, but you do realize I already have kids." Steve chuckled.

"Anytime you have a baby, you celebrate! And this one is Trina's, so we're all excited." Seth said.

"How is she doing?" John asked.

"She is okay. Her hand and face are a bit sore but they can't give her painkillers." He explained.

"And how is little Seth Borden?" Seth asked.

"You named him? What if it is a girl?" John asked.

"It's a boy." Seth insisted.

"As far as I know the baby is fine. She didn't have any bleeding or abdominal pain." Steve chuckled.

"Trina has always wanted children. I bet she is so excited." John said.

"Right now she is surprised and not sure what to think. I mean, she wants the baby….I think she is nervous about how life is going to change and she is unsure about the adjustments she is going to make. I think if we had planned a pregnancy she wouldn't be so unsure of everything." He frowned.

"She is going to be a great mom. Look at how she is cares about those animals. Ran into a burning building to save a goat, insisted Roman save a mutilated goat, takes in every stray cat she finds." Seth said.

"I know, believe me." Steve smiled.

"Well what about you? A new baby, how do you feel?" John asked.

"I am shocked myself but…I am so excited. I love my two boys and now I get to have another child. I can't wait to see it." He smiled.

"Me too. I think he is going to look like Trina, but act like you." Seth smiled.

"Seth, you are carrying on as if the baby is yours." John rolled his eyes.

"Trina is having a baby. We waited so long for her to find the right guy, she did and now they are having a baby!" he said.

"I am excited but the baby won't be here for several months. And in the meantime, you don't drive her crazy!" John said.

"That would make things around here very boring." Steve laughed. "So what is going on with the girl pulled out of the river?"

"Not much is going on. No matches on her prints and we were waiting on you to get back so we could contact that forensic artist about getting some drawings done." John said.

"We have no ID on River Doe or Tree Doe as your wife has started calling them." Seth said.

"Well, I will catch up on everything after I take Trina home. Where is the chief?" Steve asked.

"He took Kendrick over to Parsons to be held there. Flair felt that considering how close we are to Trina and then finding out she is expecting, it would be better to keep him there. Less chances of him being able to claim any problems." John explained.

1600 Hours

Trina was resting on the front porch, sitting on the stairs petting a few of the outdoor cats. Steve had brought her home from the hospital and had to return to work as he was a few days behind after being out of town. Jack was laying on the step in front of her, ignoring the cats as he had been raised with them.

She heard a car coming up the driveway and Jack immediately sat up. She saw it was Naomi's car and grabbed his collar.

"It's okay Jack, just Naomi." She soothed him.

Naomi parked her car and jumped out, nearly running across the yard. Trina stood up to greet her but was startled when Naomi threw her arms around her middle.

"Baby Borden is on the way! I am so excited." She kissed her stomach.

Trina chuckled. "Steve told me you had been texting him."

"You just rest in there for now, I'll take care of mommy." Naomi told the baby.

"I don't think they can hear you yet." Trina raised an eyebrow.

"I don't care. I want them to know me when they are born." Naomi hugged her. "How are you doing? You must be so excited."

"Well I am okay from my tussle at work, just some stitches and bruises. As for excited…..I don't know." She sighed.

"What? You have always wanted children. And you said you wanted children with Steve." Naomi frowned.

"Come on, let's go inside. You want something to drink?" Trina said as she walked towards the house.

"Iced tea will be fine." Naomi followed her in with Jack sticking with them."Now why aren't you excited about being pregnant?"

"I don't know. It is nothing I can put my finger on." Trina said as she opened the cupboards. "And don't tell Steve any of this. That man is so excited he might come home with a rocking horse and toy train."

"But why aren't you excited?" Naomi sat down at the table.

"I am happy….but…I always thought that when the time came, Steve and I would decide to start trying, I would be peeing on those ovulation sticks, taking my temperature, charting my cycle. Instead just…surprise. I am not sure I am ready." Trina said.

"So you got a surprise. I think that is extra special. You didn't plan it but you and Steve love each other so much that you accidentally got pregnant." Naomi told her.

"But I am not ready. I am not prepared for morning sickness, swollen ankles, weight gain….and what if I gain so much weight Steve doesn't find me attractive anymore?" she sighed.

"How hard did that guy hit you? I think you have lost your mind. Steve loves you. Did he stop loving the boys' mother? Besides, you are healthy and active so I wouldn't worry about weight gain. And yes, this is a surprise pregnancy but you can handle it. It is going to mean changes but it is nothing you can't handle. Women have been doing this since the beginning of time. And you got Steve to help you every step of the way. I'll be here for anything you need. And something just tells me your Davis team is gonna be over helpful." Naomi smiled.

"I guess you are right. I just need some time to wrap my mind around this." Trina sat down.

"This baby is gonna be so cute. Steve's smile, your eyes and hair." Naomi smiled.

"I hope they do have Steve's smile." She agreed.

"Everything is going to be great." Naomi reached over and squeezed her hand. "And just think…you can gross Seth out with all kinds of pregnancy stuff."

August 7th, 0800 Hours

"You sure you don't want to take another day off?" Steve asked Trina as he walked her into the Davis station.

"I am fine. Besides, I just want to see if any progress is being made on our two Jane Does." Trina said.

"Are you sure?" Steve frowned as she walked to her desk.

"I am positive." She assured him.

Seth walked out of the breakroom. "Mommy Borden, welcome back!"

"Hey Seth. Anything happen overnight?" she asked.

"No, it was pretty quiet." Seth said. "How is my nephew?"

"You're so sure it is a boy." She rolled her eyes. "Boy or girl, they are fine."

Jerry walked out of his office. "Oh good, you're here. We need to talk about this pregnancy."

"What do you mean?" Trina frowned.

"Well since you are pregnant, your duties will have to change some so that you are safe and there is no risk to your baby." Jerry said.

"I am only six weeks along." She protested. "No need to change things yet."

"Yes there is. We already had one scare and luckily the baby wasn't harmed. For now, I want you on low risk calls only. Any fights or domestic violence calls come in, one of the male officers will handle it. And we will still need you on a lot around here, especially with these unsolved murders." Jerry said.

"But we will be short-handed." She protested more.

"We will deal with it and can always call Parsons officers for back-up if needed." Jerry told her.

"Come on Trina, this is for the best. And it is only until the baby is born." Steve rubbed her shoulder.

"There will be plenty for you to do. We still have no ID on our two Jane Does and with school starting Karen Angle will be up to her antics." Seth said.

Trina sighed. "Okay, okay. But I want kept up to date on all cases, especially our ongoing ones."

"You will be. We need you. But we also need to keep you and junior safe." Jerry winked.

"What if it's a girl?" Trina asked.

"Steve has a history of making boys." Seth said.

"Oh brother." Trina rolled her eyes again. "That sounds as goofy as those guys that get on the Maury Show claiming they can only make girls or only make boys."

"Well you seem to be fine. You are arguing with Seth." Steve chuckled. "I am gonna get to Parsons."

"I will see you after work." Trina smiled.

He kissed her. "Have a good day. Love you."

"Love you too." Trina smiled.

"Seth, don't stress her out. The baby will feel it." Steve said.

"But the Cubs are doing so good, that's not my fault." Seth smirked.

"Seth, I will strangle you." Trina said.

"Okay, if the baby can feel what you feel….does it know when you have sex with Steve?" Seth asked.

"I have been pregnant five minutes, how the hell do I know?" she said. "Google it."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _I am sure this chapter got a lot of interesting reactions. I have enjoyed reading comments as some of you were suspecting a baby was on the way. Again, I am thankful for all the feedback and support as I am getting back into writing routine. Each review is appreciated. Batistasprincess- Bray will be appearing again soon. Jcott3- Don't worry, that world series, especially going 7 games and extra innings has opened up the chance for all kinds of fun. Paisley2- Seth is a doll, but there are plans for him in this story. Nixystix- When Sting retired my mom was all 'He is not dead, why are you crying so much.' LOL Carlyrosanna83- Think we should start a 'Bring Sting Back' petition? LOL reikat- Hmmm, your snow stories may have opened up some inspiration for me. I mean WV gets snow and with what I already have planned…this could be fun._


	14. Strange Letter

August 9th, 0800 Hours

Seth came in from a routine patrol, ready to go home after being on nightshift. He heard coughing and gagging coming from the locker room and realized Trina was having morning sickness. He walked to the locker room and peeked inside. Trina was croched down, vomiting into one of the toilets.

Seth got a washcloth off the shelf and wet it in the sink. He walked over to where she was and handed it to her.

"Baby giving you a rough morning?" he asked.

"This morning sickness is for the birds." She muttered as she washed her face. "And I don't just get it in the mornings. It seems to come when it wants."

"It'll be over after the first trimester. Just hang in there." Seth knelt beside her.

"How do you know that?" she looked up at him.

"I been reading up. Nothing else happening on nightshift." He shrugged.

"Keep this quiet. I don't want Steve worrying over nothing and I don't want Jerry putting me on desk only duty." Trina told him.

"I am pretty sure everyone knows you were in here vomiting. Besides, Jerry has kids, he is familiar with pregnancy." Seth rubbed her shoulder.

"Naomi thinks it is a girl since I am having morning sickness and it is happening more often." Trina said.

"Nope, it is a boy." Seth helped her stand up.

"Thanks, I hope this morning sickness does pass with the first trimester. Mom had morning sickness all 9 months with me. I was laying on her intestines." She walked to the sink.

"You will be okay. Women go through this all the time." Seth told her as she rinsed her mouth.

"You know tv and movies makes this look so cute…..what a lie." She dried her hands.

"Let's focus on the important thing, I am buying him a Cubs baseball glove." Seth followed her out of the locker room.

"You do and I am beating the life out of you with it." She rolled her eyes.

"Nice to see you two getting along." Layfield said.

"You love us." Trina winked.

"How was nightshift?" John asked.

"Nothing much happened." Seth said.

They heard the door open and looked up to see Robert Gibson walk in.

"Hey Mr. Gibson, what brings you here?" Trina smiled.

"I am delivering the mail today. I got one guy on vacation and one out sick. So I am helping out where I can." He shrugged and handed Trina the mail for the station.

"That is nice of you. How have you been?" Seth asked.

"Can't complain, staying busy with work. We got a day behind with that flood last week. Well I better be going, I got a few more stops." Robert said.

"See you later." John called as he walked out.

"I miss his parents, they were so sweet." Trina smiled as she opened a letter.

"Yeah, they were such a cute family. Robert signing to his parents, two deaf parents raising a son with hearing….takes guts." Seth said.

"Trina, you okay? You gonna vomit again?" John asked seeing her frowning.

"No, that is okay for now. It is this letter we got. It is weird." She frowned.

Seth walked over to her desk and looked at the envelope. "It is addressed to Davis Police. Postmarked out of Bossier City, Louisiana. Why is someone in Louisiana sending us mail?"

"What does it say?" John asked.

Trina frowned. "Officers, I think her name was Carmella. It is what they called her. I didn't realize what it was until it was too late. I didn't mean to find that. I wanted to do something but feared for my life. I hope they can't track a letter back to me. Thought old school would be best. Saw a news clip. Please find her family. I am sorry. I didn't know."

"That is strange. Is someone confessing to murder?" John walked over.

"I don't think so, sounds more like they were a witness to murder and an unwilling one at that. If this is to be believed." Trina looked at them.

"Letter is block writing. Looks like they made a definite attempt at hiding their hand writing." John said.

"I am gonna call Steve. Put on gloves to handle this letter from here on out. We need Dolph too, he has forensic training." Trina said.

1030 Hours

"So far the only fingerprints I am finding are Trina's. Whoever wrote this was careful not to leave prints on the letter." Dolph told them.

"What about the envelope? Any chance of DNA?" Steve asked.

"This is one of those sticky strip envelopes. They never licked it and with all the mail handlers, prints would be nearly impossible." Dolph shook his head.

"How does someone from Louisiana even know about Davis, WV? We are hardly popular." John frowned.

"The writer says that he caught a news article about something online. Now I have checked online and found that there is an article about Tree Doe published out of Charleston. All other articles were from local papers that would require an online subscription to view." Trina said.

"Good work. So whoever this is, saw an article from Charleston and sent us a letter." Steve said.

"But what if this guy didn't read the article and was really at the murder scene?" Seth asked.

"Postmarked Louisiana?" John asked.

"Seth may have a point. This is a tourist area. What if this is a tourist who witnessed the murder and then wrote us after they returned home?" Trina offered.

"That might be why they mentioned being concerned for their safety. They were afraid of someone in this area." Steve said.

"That would explain how someone in Louisiana knew about the murder." Jerry agreed.

"Good work Trina, no pregnancy fog for you." Dolph winked.

"What is pregnancy fog?" Trina asked.

"The hormones of pregnancy affect the brain and that combined with the added fatigue due to pregnancy can cause women forgetfulness and moments your brain doesn't quite work. It is temporary and not dangerous." Dolph explained.

"Oh great, so I am gonna get fat while vomiting and my brain quits working." Trina laid her head on the desk.

Steve rubbed her back. "You are not gonna get fat and everything else you can deal with as it comes."

"Just wait until she starts blaming you and says you can never touch her again." Jerry chuckled.

"I have been through it before. Best thing is to take things one day at a time." Steve said.

"And as pregnancy progresses she will have mood swings. Don't hold it against her, but I doubt you would. You are patient and like you said, have been through this before." Dolph said. "What did her obstetrician say?"

"I went yesterday. Baby is due March 26th, everything is fine. Started me on pre-natal vitamins and gave me a bunch of stuff to read. Child birth classes, what to expect, etc." Trina said.

"Good, glad you got a good doctor. Dr. Morrissey is great." Dolph said.

"He is so tall I was surprised he could get low enough to see my vagina." Trina chuckled. "But he is very nice and seemed genuinely happy for me even though I am a new patient."

"Why is it every time I hear a girl talking dirty, I can't enjoy it?" Seth laughed.

"Also, I want you drinking plenty of orange juice. Folic acid prevents birth defects." Dolph packed up his bag.

"What do you make of the letter?" Steve asked.

"I am gonna take it back to the lab and look at it again, see if I can find anything else." Dolph said.

"In the meantime, we are going to see if we can make any connections. The author said the girl's name was Carmella, it does give us a starting point even if it isn't much." Steve said.

"I'll let you know if I find anything. Keep me updated." Dolph said.

1200 Hours

Steve walked in carrying a few boxes of food from the diner. Trina was still typing away on her laptop. He chuckled and went over to her desk.

"What have you found?" Steve asked.

"I am not sure if it means anything, but I did find a possible lead but it is weird." Trina looked up. "I searched the name Carmella in the missing person's databank and didn't get any hits. So I tried a few internet searches and I found a strange blurb and on a social media site. A woman calling her friend Carmella complains that Carmella is missing but she can't get the police to take the story seriously as the girl has a history of disappearing for weeks at a time." Trina said.

"Could you track down where it was posted from?" Steve asked.

"That is the strange part. It is out of the Pittsburgh area." Trina looked at him.

"Well this is a tourist area, she may have been visiting here." Steve said.

Trina clicked on her laptop. "Here is a few pictures of Carmella that the friend had posted. I can't tell due to the damage that happened to Tree Doe but there are some similarities."

"Well after lunch, you can work on it more. Right now, I am feeding my bride and baby." Steve kissed her forehead.

"Sounds good, I am a little hungry." She smiled.

"Well come on, we can eat in the break room." Steve told her.

She followed him into the break room and sat down at the table. "Have you told the boys about the new baby yet?"

"I was thinking we should do that together. How about tonight?" Steve sat down and opened the food containers.

"I think this is something you should do. I mean….it is very delicate. I don't want them to feel like you have remarried and are replacing them."

"Exactly why I want you part of this. The family is expanding and growing and you are part of that now." Steve assured her.

"How is their mother going to respond?" she asked.

"My ex? Why would she care? We wished each other well when we divorced." He frowned.

"Yes, but wishing someone well and then meaning it when things happen can be two different things. Some exes resent their former spouse having more children for a variety of reasons…including that it changes inheritance." She took a bite of her sandwich.

Steve chuckled. "I know that happens but we are hardly the Rockefeller family. We live comfortable but nothing to fight about."

"Still…I have heard more than one woman say that when their child's father has children with another woman it makes you feel some kind of way."

Steve pondered a moment. "But what can I do, even if she does get upset?"

"You and her seem to have a good relationship as exes that focus on the best for your shared children. And I do count my blessings that she is not a Karen Angle type causing havoc at every turn. I think you should call her and talk to her. Tell her that we are expecting, reassure her that you and I both will still be there for Steven and Garrett." Trina said.

"Would you want that?" Steve asked.

"You even try having kids with another woman and I will turn into Karen Angle." She winked.

"Anything but that." He laughed. "You may have a good point. I will tell her. I guess it would be better than her being blindsided about it."

1400 Hours

Trina dialed the phone, her notepad in front of her, ready to speak with the lady she found online complaining that her friend was missing. She had found out the woman's number from information.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I please speak with Nia Jax?" Trina asked.

"This is Nia, who is this?"

"Ms. Jax, I'm Officer Trina Conley-Borden from the Davis, West Virginia PD. I am calling because of your social media post about your friend Carmella being missing for several days." Trina explained.

"West Virginia? Did you find her?"

"The investigation is ongoing at this time. I am curious about your post online. Why wouldn't the police take a missing person seriously?" she asked.

"Carmella is a bit flighty and a free spirit on top of it. A few times in the past she has gone off on vacations and not told anyone. Says she just got the urge to go and off she went. However, I don't think this time is one of her wandering journeys." Nia explained.

"What makes this time different?"

"For starters she didn't have her mail stopped. I checked her mailbox and it is overflowing. She usually has her mail stopped before she takes off. Also, her dog was left at the house. She always takes her dog with her. That dog is her baby, she wouldn't just abandon him." Nia told her.

"Did you tell this to the authorities?"

"Yeah I did, so did her parents but they didn't seem too concerned. Her parents managed to look at her bank records and her debit card has not been used since middle of July. But the police still don't seem very concerned." Nia said.

"Tell me about Carmella. Can you give me a physical description?"

"She is a brunette, dyes her hair blonde. About five and half feet tall, good shape." Nia said. "What is really going on?"

"As I said, this is an ongoing investigation. I am sorry that I cannot tell you more at this time. Could you give me the contact information for Carmella's family?"

"Yeah sure, I have her parents' number." Nia said and Trina wrote down the information.

"Thank you for your time." Trina told her and hung up.

"Did you get anything?" Layfield asked her.

"This could be our girl. Timeline matches and physical description matches. I will call Dolph and have him get in contact with her family so they can do a visual for ID purposes." Trina said.

"So if this is her…..we have a girl from Pittsburgh dead and brutally murdered in Tucker county…and a letter from Louisiana with information in it?" John frowned.

"I feel like a cat chasing my tail. Nothing adds up. Brutal murders, strange evidence and no answers." Trina sighed.

"Well if it is her, at least we can give her back to her family and let her have some dignity." He said. "How's little man?"

"You too?"

"Little lady?" John shrugged.

"They are okay. Not like I can feel anything yet." She shrugged too.

1900 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station to find Seth sitting on the floor near Trina's chair and talking. He looked up to see Layfield looking amused as he watched the two.

"What is going on and how scared should I be?" Steve chuckled.

"Seth is talking to the baby. I told him that the baby won't be able to hear until 18 weeks into the pregnancy but….he wants to be sure the baby knows him." Trina gave a half smile.

"And what are you telling them?" Steve smiled.

"I am telling him about me, my relationship with his mom…you know introducing him to his favorite uncle." Seth chuckled.

"For me to be an only child, everyone wants to be this kid's uncle. The twins, Seth, John, Dolph….I guess Jerry will be grandpa." Trina laughed.

"I heard that!" Jerry called out of his office.

"That is a good thing. Kids can never have too much love. But we are not spoiling them." Steve kissed her. "You ready to go home?"

"Yeah, I called Dolph a while ago. He is going to contact Carmella's family and see if we have a positive ID." She said.

"Enough about work. You need to relax when you go home. Rest and let junior rest." Seth said.

"What are you gonna do if she is a girl?" Trina asked.

"It is a boy." Seth insisted.

"Oh brother, come on Steve." Trina stood up.

"If you have morning sickness tomorrow, come in later. We'll cover you." John said.

"No it is okay. I can handle it." She insisted.

"Quit being stubborn. If you need extra time, we understand." Steve said.

"If all those ladies back in the day could run farms, give birth at home and keep moving, so can I." she said.

Steve smiled fondly. "Come along Caroline Ingalls."

"Oh hell no. That was a good show, family values and all. But I do get annoyed at how desperate she was to have a son. Then again, I know people that have done the same thing. Like that nitwit distant cousin of mine that was determined to have a girl to the point it nearly ruined her marriage." Trina gathered her things.

"What happened?" Seth asked.

"This nimrod cousin…never was close to her. Anyway, she and her husband waited to have kids but by the time she was ready her husband had decided he didn't want any. Well, she started doing anything to get pregnant to the point of poking holes in his condoms. He caught on and quit having sex with her. Finally, she talked him into having just one. She desperately wanted a daughter. Well this was before sonograms were as good as they are today. When she had her first one, the tech told her they thought it was a girl but couldn't be sure. Dingbat was just convinced it was a girl and all summer called it 'her' and 'Emily'. Right before she delivered a second sonogram showed conclusively it was a boy. She kinda shrugged it off saying she could talk her husband into a second one." Trina said.

"Well did she?" Steve asked.

"Sorta, they were stupid trying the 'can't get pregnant while breastfeeding' birth control method and got pregnant again on accident. Both are staunchly pro-life so here came baby number 2. Sonogram couldn't tell what the baby was due to how it was positioned and she spent 9 months saying 'they owe me a girl' because the first one turned out to be a boy. Surprise, baby 2 was a boy too. Witch actually bawled in the delivery room she didn't want him. Who does that?"

"And that ruined her marriage?" John asked.

"Not that. But after baby 2, her hubby was done having kids. She knew it and still desperately wanted a girl…why I don't know as her husband is a lousy dad, hardly involved with the kids. Anyway, he began insisting she get an IUD. Knowing her time to have a girl was dwindling, she went off the pill behind the husband's back and got pregnant. He realized what she did and was beyond furious. He stayed with her but made everyone miserable the whole pregnancy. That family reunion was weird because we could all feel the tension and how pissed he was."

"What happened to these people?" Steve asked as they walked out.

"The third baby was a girl. She happily got her tubes tied and I lost track of them after my parents died." Trina explained.

"Makes me so happy that you want a baby that is healthy not worried about gender. And that I have never met these people. Are they related to Karen Angle?" Steve kissed her forehead. "Come on, let's get you two home."

"Sounds good." She smiled. "By the way, Naomi says we need to start thinking about names."

"Names? With Garrett we changed our minds a dozen times before he was born. With Steven my ex was adamant she wanted to name him after me if he was a boy." Steve helped her into the truck.

"Well…..tell the truth, do you want a boy or a girl. My crazy cousin story has me curious." She giggled as he got in.

"Honestly, it doesn't matter. For many years I thought I was done having children so meeting you and having another child is such a blessing, I'll be happy no matter what." Steve started the truck. "What about you?"

"You don't have a daughter and I would kind of like to give you one. But I think you would spoil her so bad I would go crazy. But a little boy would be just as nice. Playing ball in the yard and making mud pies. You teaching him to throw a football and work around the house." Trina smiled.

"Any name ideas?" Steve asked.

"Not a one." She giggled. "We need to get a book."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Happy Holidays! And now that the majority of festivities is over I can finally get back to normal. Between hurricanes and holidays my life has been hectic but I have been able to write a lot recently and get ideas organized and together. I love family and holidays but this year was insane. Thank you for your patience. And I enjoyed all the reviews last chapter. So many of you suspected Trina was expecting that it was fun to see your reactions. Batistasprincess (Glad you caught that line from Bray. I don't know how many did.) nixystix (So it's like having a Sting dress! I want one.) jcott3 (Have you been reading my story notes? LOL And It should be interesting to see if readers lean towards a boy or girl.) reikat (I am glad you picked up the clues. I think everyone did. And just over the holidays a new twist entered my mind.) carlyrosanna83 (Just wait, interesting things coming.) Debwood-1999 (Criminals never make sense or their girlfriends. I work with a woman who had her boyfriend arrested for stealing her car but she visits him in jail. Go figure!)_


	15. Bray and A Search for Mythical Creatures

August 13th, 0800 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station alone, having left Trina at home to rest. He noticed Seth and John already at their desks. Seth looked up and seeing Steve alone immediately frowned.

"Where is Trina?" Seth asked.

"She is fine. She was sick this morning so I made her stay home and rest." Steve assured him.

"You got her to stay home?" Layfield was stunned.

"It wasn't easy, but I finally got her to agree to come in late after her stomach settled and she had rested a bit." Steve said.

"Is she okay?" Seth asked.

"Oh yeah, just pregnancy stuff. She had morning sickness. And the hormones are starting to kick in. Last night she started crying over something she was watching on TV….one of those sad animal commercials wanting you to send money." Steve sat down.

"Oh dear." John sighed.

"Jimmy called earlier and told us there was a bit of a fuss at the Parsons station yesterday." Seth snickered.

"Don't remind me." Steve shook his head.

"What happened?" John asked.

"Summer…still pouting that she can't have Steve made the mistake of saying Steve is too old to be having more children." Seth chuckled.

"Is she nuts? Men have children with younger women all the time." John rolled his eyes.

"Unfortunately for her, she said it within earshot of Judy and Leilani. I thought those two were going to string her up from the flagpole in the town square." Steve sighed. "Both of them ripped her a new one while the sheriff chuckled and stayed out of it."

"Good for them. Trust me, you are not too old to be having a baby." Seth said.

"What brings you by this morning?" John asked.

"Kingston finished the sketches of the girl pulled out of the falls." Steve handed them the folder. "Since we had a confirmed ID on Carmella he didn't need to do one on her."

"Yeah but we still have practically no information on that girl." John said. "I pulled her bank records, everything is normal and then suddenly all use of the card stopped. And this girl used her card daily for shopping and food."

Seth looked at the sketches. "Dark hair and pale…cute girl though. I don't recognize her."

"Neither did Trina or the twins. Chances are she isn't a local. And with her being found in a river during a flood, she could be from just about anywhere. We don't even know if she was thrown in the water or just got washed away in the flood after being dumped somewhere." Steve sighed.

"What's the latest from Bischoff?" John asked.

"He is wanting to hold a press conference asking for information and going over what we know. So far Flair has been able to hold him off. Damien too." Steve said.

"None of this is making sense. Two dead women, and Johnny Curtis but nothing adds up." Seth frowned.

"Plus the weird creepers and the mutilated animals." John frowned.

Jerry walked in. "John, get out to where Kurt Angle works. Karen showed up this morning and is having a tantrum about something."

"Fire me so I don't have to go." John groaned.

"I better get to the newspaper office and get this picture of River Doe out in the public." Steve said as John stood up to leave.

They looked up to see Trina coming in. Steve shook his head at her stubbornness of not taking more time to rest.

"You sure you should be here?" Seth asked her.

"Yeah, I got work to do. Vomiting is under control for now." She sat down.

"Did you drink anything?" Steve rubbed her back.

"Yeah, some water and some juice." She nodded.

"Think you could handle some food?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Don't mention food…not yet."

"If Junior is as stubborn as his mother, good luck with those terrible twos." Seth said.

"You can babysit for us." Trina rolled her eyes.

"You take it easy for another hour or so. Do some paperwork or something." Steve kissed her forehead.

"I will. I am going out to talk to Bray later. I don't think he is involved but he just knows things." She said.

"You take it easy and rest when you need to." Steve kissed her. "I gotta head to the newspaper offices."

"Call the boys' mom. She called after you left this morning." Trina said.

"I will. Love you. Seth, don't bring up that Chicago team." Steve smiled.

"Love you too and I promise to not talk about the White Sox." Seth winked.

"Oh brother." Trina laughed as she sat down at her desk.

"So how is little Seth Borden?" Seth asked.

"Making me ill, but I can deal with it." Trina said.

"Steve's ex calling again?" Seth asked.

"She is having a hard time with me being pregnant." Trina sighed. "I warned Steve this would happen."

"She had to have known this was coming. I mean she knew you were younger than Steve, so a baby was going to happen sooner or later." Seth said.

"Steve spoke to her to tell her we were expecting…and I guess she thought she would have more time to mentally prepare for us to get pregnant." Trina flipped through the mail.

"But what exactly is the problem?"

Trina frowned. "It is complicated. She knows her time with Steve is over and wishes him well, but she thought she would be the only woman he had children with…. that would be her special thing with him. Then when we got married, she knew we would have children but she thought she would have more time to mentally prepare for it. I guess this baby took her by surprise."

"Why do women have to be so complicated and emotional about everything?" Seth groaned.

"She just needs time. But she did talk to me and offered some advice on how to sleep comfortably when the baby starts growing bigger and avoiding leg cramps." Trina said. "I just hope she comes to terms with it peacefully."

"Now what about Bray?"

"I just want to see what he feels might be coming or what he might know. He spends a lot of time with our more…. unorthodox citizens so never know what he might hear and not even realize it is important." She shrugged.

1030 Hours

Trina pulled up outside the snake handling church and noticed that Bray was not at the church or in the building out back. She concluded he must be at his home. She shut off the SUV and climbed out. Walking across the yard to where Bray lived near his church. She noticed large tan colored Bull Mastiff come running towards her barking. She knew Bray kept protective dogs and stopped walking.

"Easy there, is Bray home?" she calmly asked.

The dog slowed down to a trot and turned his head. She slowly approached him and let him smell her hand. He licked he hand and she patted his head.

"Good boy, you are so big. What does he feed you?" she chuckled.

"Trina, good morning!" she heard Bray calling.

She looked up and saw Bray walking out of the woods. Apparently he had been out hiking or hunting.

"Good morning, your dog was just greeting me."

"Sampson, oh he wouldn't hurt you. He can feel your precious cargo." Bray walked up to her.

"The baby? How did you know?" she was startled.

Bray laughed. "Animals know things we do not. They can see, hear and feel things we cannot. I am willing to bet your own pets have been acting differently since you conceived as well. Besides, earlier in the summer after your wedding I had a sense about you myself."

"A sense?"

"I can't explain it. Just a sudden feeling around you." Bray said. "Felt the same feeling around Mrs. Danielson."

"Brie is expecting? Has Nikki flipped out and cornered John fifty times over it?" Trina chuckled. "Just what step-daddy needs with visions of being a governor…a baby to help his campaign."

"So what brings you out to see me? Come on up to the house, it is sweltering out here." Bray motioned her towards the house.

"Bray, strange murders are happening in the county and you seem to know things, sense things. Just like you sensed my pregnancy." She followed him with Sampson close behind.

"It is not that simple. I get flashes of things, senses of things. I am not clairvoyant. Whatever I have…runs in the family. My grandmother was the same way. Mama had dreams." Bray stepped up on the porch.

Trina stopped and covered her mouth, nausea hitting her.

"Trina?"

"Morning sickness, I am okay. Just give me a moment." She nodded.

Bray reached over and gripped both her wrists, pressing his thumbs against the insides. "Take a deep breath."

Trina felt the nausea subside and stared at Bray. "How did you do that?"

"Pressure point trick. Come in the house, I got something for you." He smiled.

She raised an eyebrow but followed him into his home. "Bray, have you sensed anything sinister around anyone?"

"No."

"But you sensed that girl we pulled out of the river?" she asked.

"I sensed death but not from nature." He said.

She frowned. "Bray, we all know about superstitions of mountain people. A lot of the people around here believe in premonitions and such. But isn't there anything you know or sense that can help?"

"I wish there was. It is not easy to read in the newspaper what has been happening around here the past year. What I do is nothing special. I listen to nature, the animals. And I get a sense of things. I can't predict or control it." He shrugged.

"I think I understand. That being said, have you seen or noticed anything unusual in the past month. You spend a lot of time in the woods and that seems to be where a lot of bodies are turning up." She asked.

"Nothing of significance. But the animals are restless. Something is disturbing them. It is not the usual disturbance of summer with hikers and campers." Bray said. "But you must not stress. Your baby is depending on you."

"That is easier said than done right now." She frowned.

"Stay here a moment." Bray walked out of the room.

She could hear him rummaging around the house. She waited patiently noticing that Sampson was watching her through the door. After a few moments Bray returned carrying a small box and a necklace.

"Take this tea, drink it in the mornings. It will ease your morning sickness." Bray handed her the box.

"What is it?"

"It is ginger tea. Safe for the baby and will calm your stomach." He assured her. He then placed the necklace over her head. It was long, reaching down to her waist with a small decorative white ball on the end.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It is a harmony ball. A tradition from Bali. The small charm makes a faint ringing sound as you move. It is soothing to the mother and baby. One of my parishioners told me about them and a few ladies in the church swear by them." He smiled.

She looked at it. "Well, I guess it can't hurt. Thank you. It is a nice thought, the baby hearing wind chimes as it grows."

"I am glad to help." He said.

1200 Hours

Trina walked back into the station and found John sitting on his desk rubbing his temples. She chuckled and sat down at her desk.

"Okay, what did Karen do now?" she laughed.

"I think she has turned me gay except for my wife." John groaned. "She showed up at Kurt's work having a fit about school clothes."

"Didn't she do the same thing last year? Something about demanding school clothes and then not liking what he purchased?" Trina asked.

"I don't know, I have lost track at this point. Apparently, this morning early, she called Kurt at home wanting to know when he was buying the kids school clothes. Kurt informed her that he would buy the kids school clothes to wear and keep at his house for the days of the week they are with him. He expects her to buy the remaining needed school clothes with her child support payments. She hung up and him and then showed up at his job having a tantrum." John explained.

"With them having joint custody she is lucky he pays child support at all. I think he does it more out of wanting the best for his kids than anything." She rolled her eyes.

"So I get called out there, Karen takes one look at me and starts screaming police harassment. I told her to feel free to contact the chief over it and escorted her off the premises." John sighed.

"Well I got nothing to help with the case from Bray. I am going to try a killer profile. Couldn't hurt to try." She said.

1400 Hours

"How goes the profile?" John looked over where Trina was studying her paperwork and writing down notes.

"John, nothing is making sense to even form a profile. We have both male and female victims, we have no pattern or MO except that all victims showed signs of brutality. The victims didn't know each other, work in the same fields, or share any similarities in their personal lives." Trina frowned.

"There has to be something we are not seeing." John came over to look at her notes.

"I have been thinking the same thing. And then you throw in this anonymous note we received in the mail. How is someone from Louisiana involved in this?" Trina sighed.

"What if we have a killer suffering from mental illness? Hearing voices or seeing things? That might account for the randomness of everything." John frowned again. "But someone suffering from mental illness wouldn't be this neat about not leaving behind evidence or escaping detection."

"Not always, but these days so many criminals and attorneys try using mental illness as an excuse it is hard to know what to expect from those that might really be suffering symptoms. But my professional opinion is someone truly suffering from mental illness to the point of not knowing right and wrong would not be this savvy about avoiding detection. You may be right." She sighed.

Steve walked in frowning and with tired eyes. Trina was immediately concerned for her husband.

"Steve, what is the matter? What brings you over here?" she asked.

"Dana Brooke was found dead in Pleasants County. Just got the call from their sheriff about an hour ago and he faxed me over everything they have so far." Steve handed them the file.

"Pleasants county? That is the other side of the state." John said.

"She was found dumped in some woods outside of Point Pleasant last night. Some kids out ghost hunting or something found her." Steve sat down.

"How did the ID her so fast?" Trina asked.

"Sheriff said that they recognized her from her missing person profile. Strange thing is, their coroner says she has only been dead about 72 hours." Steve said.

"But she has been missing for several weeks, how is that possible?" John muttered as he looked through the file too.

"Someone kept her alive." Trina said.

"She was brutally murdered from what their corner's report reads." John sighed.

"Ears were cut off. X mark branded onto her left thigh, two cut off the right foot, chunks of flesh cut off the right arm and buttocks." Trina read. "No sign of rape, no vaginal or rectal damage. No presence of semen on or in the body."

"Says the cause of death most likely shock and blood loss." John read.

"Steve, you have worked homicide in a big city. What is this? What are these murders?" Trina looked up at him.

"I don't know. I have seen brutal murders. But never this many, this close together." Steve told her.

She turned back to the coroner's report. "This report shows some weight loss, but says that other than her wounds she was clean. No sign of dirt under her nails or on the body."

"Which means that whoever kept her alive, kept her clean and fed her enough to keep her alive. And with no signs of sexual abuse, she wasn't kidnapped for sexual purposes." Steve said.

"That makes no sense. Kidnap her, keep her alive and not rape her? Predators rarely kidnap for non-sexual reasons." John said.

"Nothing of this case makes sense so add that to the list. Other victims showed signs of sexual abuse." Trina sighed.

"So we have a girl kidnapped from a campsite in Tucker county, kept alive somewhere, killed and then dumped across the state in Pleasants county." Steve said. "I hate to admit it, but a feeling of helplessness is setting in."

Trina looked up stunned. Steve never let cases get to him and always stayed positive. "What can we do to figure this out? There has to be something, somewhere that we are not seeing."

"I wish I knew."

1800 Hours

"Okay, I spoke to the Pleasants county sheriff again." Steve walked in the breakroom.

"They speak to her family?" Seth asked.

"Yes, her family has been contacted and arrangements are being made. The officers in Point Pleasant believe Dana was dumped in the woods but killed elsewhere. There was no blood in the woods." Steve said.

"Do they have any suspects or witnesses?" John asked.

"No, no one saw anything except for those kids that found her. Said they were out in the woods looking for something called a mothman." Steve said.

"I should've guessed that's what they were doing considering the area." Trina rolled her eyes.

"What is that necklace you are playing with?" Seth asked her.

"Bray gave it to me. Supposed to be soothing for me and the baby. Not sure it can hear yet but what the hell." She shrugged.

"That guy is seriously weird." Seth said.

"Do you think we could be dealing with a killer that kidnaps and holds them, the kills and dumps?" Trina asked.

"Could be, anything is possible." Steve said.

"I was just thinking of the unsolved Oakland county children murders." Trina said.

"These aren't child victims." John said.

"I didn't think it was the same killer, especially since the passage of time. I was just making connections in my mind to similar cases." Trina shrugged.

Jerry walked in. "Trina, you have worked a full day, go home. Let my little buddy rest."

"You men do realize that I am just pregnant, not helpless right?" Trina asked.

"Yes we realize that. But there is little else you can do for today and we agreed you were going to rest while pregnant." Jerry crossed his arms.

"I wish you men could get pregnant just once for a few days." Trina grumbled.

"Is this one of those mood swing things?" Seth asked.

"She is just having a hard time adjusting to slowing down is all. Come on, Trina. You said you wanted to work in the garden. I'll help you." Steve said.

"You know my mother worked the whole summer she carried me. Worked in the garden, put up preserves, didn't change routine at all." Trina countered.

"Yes, but she wasn't working a job where she had to carry a gun, deal with criminals and a stressful murder case." John said.

"You men are going to drive me crazy before nine months is up. Luckily I love all of you." Trina smiled. "Okay, husband of mine. Let's go."

"Don't worry. I will let you know the Cubs score in the morning." Seth smirked.

"Rollins, I am a pregnant woman with a gun." Trina said.

"Seth isn't going to survive this pregnancy." Jerry laughed.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _A big thank you for all the reviews. I enjoy reading each and every one of them. You guys are so awesome. Nixystix (I want a Sting dress! My step-sister makes clothes and is into cosplay. I am gonna have to talk to her. Also, Steven and Garrett will be here, don't you worry.) reikat (I need a Sting pop vinyl. I keep a Sheamus one by my desk. Seth is a dorky cute, we love him. And careful what you say about Jericho, you might make the list. LOL) Jcott3 (I had actually forgot that other Carmella until you mentioned her. And one of my friends is a huge Cass fan and when she read my story said Cass could be her gyno any time. LOL) Carlyrosanna83 (Lots of stuff yet to happen.)_


	16. Hospital Mystery

August 19th, 0800 Hours

Trina sat at her desk sipping the tea Bray had instructed her to make. It had been helping with morning sickness. Seth walked in from the locker room.

"So I take it you have seen the baseball standings. The Cubs are so far in first place that…"

"That I could strangle you at any moment." Trina groaned. "What I don't understand is….last year Pittsburgh was so good. It came down to the last few days of the season to decide who would clinch the NL central. And this year they couldn't beat a little league team."

"Pittsburgh's ownership won't spend money. They have potential, some good players I hate to admit. Great outfield. But they won't spend any money on pitching, traded their star closer and their manager just can't win the big ones." Seth said.

"I can't believe I am bringing a child into a world where the Cubs are the hottest thing in baseball." Trina laid her head on her desk.

"Cheer up, little Seth Borden can sing 'Go Cubs Go' with me." Seth laughed.

"Oh great, the kids are annoying each other." John walked in.

"Thought your wife was going out of town?" Trina looked up.

"Her trip got delayed so I decided to come in today." John said.

"Oh good, that means I can go home and rest today. And John can deal with whatever Karen gets into today." Seth laughed again.

"I swear if she shows up at that school one more time." John sighed.

"Actually Principal Nowinski has threatened to take legal steps to get her banned from school grounds without prior appointments." Trina told him. "He called the chief about it yesterday."

"It is starting to feel like everyone in this town has gone crazy. Murders, kidnappings, animal mutilations, screaming at ex-husbands, pregnancy and Seth's antics." John said.

"Well Karen has been nuts for years and Trina's baby is exciting news." Seth chuckled.

"And Seth is just a pest." Trina said.

Jerry stepped out of his office. "Trina, John ride over to the hospital. They got an upset patient and some strange things on the security footage."

"So much for a calm morning." Trina stood up.

0900 Hours

Trina and John walked into the emergency room and was immediately met by the hospital security guard on duty.

"Hey Mr. Fulton, what seems to be the trouble here today?" Trina greeted him.

"Mrs. Borden, John…..I am not sure where to start. Come to the security office and we'll talk." Bobby told them.

They followed Mr. Fulton off to the side where there was a small security office with monitors showing around the hospital. Once inside the room he shut the door.

"We had a guy bring in his buddy in the middle of the night, hurt his ankle while trying to urinate in the woods while camping. Guy was not hurt bad so after doctors cleared him, guy went to get his truck to pull around to the door so his buddy wouldn't have to walk far on an injured ankle. Well the guy waits and waits and….his buddy never returns with the truck. After three hours and not being able to locate his friend or get him on his cell phone, he nagged us enough that we rewound the tapes from the security camera to check around the hospital. We seriously thought that the guy maybe got lost or just took off." Fulton explained.

"Okay, well what did you find?" John asked.

"We're not sure, but the footage is a little odd." Fulton frowned. "Watch." He turned on the monitor. "Okay, here is the friend walking to his truck, he gets in and sits there….tinted windows so I can't see what is going on in that vehicle. Now he starts the truck and flies out of the parking lot."

"What did his friend have to say?" John asked.

"He couldn't understand why his friend would abandon him here. Says the guy's cell phone has been turned off, it is going right to voicemail." Fulton explained.

"Rewind the tape further." Trina said. "Rewind it to where he first parks it. I wanna see if someone did something to his vehicle."

Fulton frowned but did as she asked. As he was rewinding she spotted something on the tape.

"Stop, right there." She said.

He stopped the video and they could someone dressed in dark clothing working to jimmy open the passenger door.

"Whoever it is, they are wearing a hoodie and you can't see their face. You can barely see them in that dark clothing." John commented.

The person on the video got the door opened and climbed into the truck.

"Someone waited for him to return and then abducted him. That is why he pulled out of the parking lot so fast and didn't pick up his friend." Trina said.

"That's our girl. No pregnancy fog at all." John winked at her. "We need to talk to his friend and all the info they have given you so far. Trina, call your husband and get an APB put out on that truck. Also, get a copy of that tape. We will need to get it enhanced and see what other evidence we can pick up from it."

"Well here is a copy of the incident report I took down. You can talk to his friend; he is still in the ER waiting for a ride." Fulton handed them the paperwork.

"Tony Nese is the guy waiting in the waiting room with a sprained ankle. Says TJ Perkins is our missing man." Trina read. "Okay, let's get to work."

While John went to the waiting room to speak with Tony Nese, Trina stayed in the security office and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Steve's number and waited.

"Borden." Steve answered.

"Steve, got a possible abduction from the hospital. Layfield and I are here and just reviewed the security footage." She told him.

"What can you tell me? I will put the APB out." Steve asked.

"Possible victim TJ Perkins, Caucasian male, visual estimate of 5 foot 8 inches tall. Spiked hair, wearing shorts and t-shirt with tennis shoes. Suspect is an unknown person, race unknown, gender unknown wearing dark clothing including a hoodie." Trina reported. "Both last seen in a white truck, GMC, extended cab. New York tags…."

"Trina, hold it." Steve interrupted her. "Are you sure about those New York tags and truck description?"

"Yeah, I am staring at the paused security tape. They are about to make us a copy." Trina said. "What's wrong?"

"The twins just came in from fire call…..that truck was found burning out at the trash dump area early this morning. Fire department said it was arson, clear use of accelerant." Steve said.

"Was there a body in the truck? Any sign of TJ Perkins?" Trina asked.

"No body, but I am calling Dolph to look for forensic evidence. I will meet with you and Layfield in an hour." Steve said.

1030 Hours

Steve hurried into the Davis station, finding John and Trina both on the phone and Jerry digging through files.

"I put out an APB for TJ Perkins. I got everything we have so far on the truck fire." Steve told him. "Dolph it out at the truck now collecting what evidence he can."

"My team brought a copy of the security tape from the hospital. John spoke with the friend that was left behind. According to Tony Nese, he hurt himself trying to use the bathroom in the woods. He was in town camping and hiking with TJ who offered to take him to the hospital. At the hospital when Nese was released, TJ went to get his truck to pick Nese up and was never seen again. And from the video tape, it looks as if someone broke into the truck and waited for TJ to return then abducted him." Jerry explained.

"The truck fire was called in about 0700 this morning. Firefighters immediately suspected arson from the scene." Steve said.

"Hospital records and tape shows the abduction occurred around 0515 hours." Jerry said.

Trina hung up the phone. "I just spoke to TJ Perkins' family in New York."

"Anything to help?" Jerry asked.

"They said that TJ had not been acting strangely in recent weeks, everything was normal when he left for his vacation. Also said that Perkins had been friends with Nese for a while and there were no signs of problems in their relationship. To their knowledge TJ has no known enemies and is not involved in anything questionable." Trina said.

"Have they heard from him? Received any ransom demands?" Steve asked.

"They have not heard from him or any kidnappers and stated that they were not in a financial situation that would make someone try collecting ransom." Trina said.

John hung up the phone. "I checked out the backgrounds of Perkins and Nese. Nothing out of the ordinary or that would point to problems." John said.

"I have called a forensic video expert. They can meet with me this afternoon to help analyze the video tape." Steve said.

"Good, the faster we move the better." Jerry said.

"How is the little one?" Steve asked his wife.

"Okay I guess. I don't feel anything, not even morning sickness." She assured him.

"Do you need a break?" Jerry asked.

"Just from people worrying about me." She sighed.

"We just love you." Steve rubbed her shoulder.

1300 Hours

Trina drove out to the site where the truck had been burned. She found Dolph and the twins there working to recover any forensic evidence.

"Mama Borden, what brings you out here?" Jey asked.

"Steve is going to meet with that video expert he called so I decided to come out here and see what was found." She answered.

"Not much and of course I am not an arson investigator." Dolph said. "We tried checking around the area for other tire prints or signs of a struggle but the fire department being here eliminated any chance of that happening."

"What about inside the truck? Have you found anything?" Trina asked.

"The interior was badly damaged. I'd estimate that the accelerant was heavily poured in there and lit on fire to damage any potential evidence. Also, they shoved rags in the gas tank and lit it on fire as well." Dolph said.

"So we have a guy with no problems, abducted from a hospital parking lot. His truck later found set on fire. And no sign of our victim." Trina sighed.

"What if he is in on it?" Jimmy asked.

"What do you mean?" Dolph asked.

"What if he willingly went with whoever was in his truck?" Jimmy asked.

"I can see why you might think that is a possibility, but the evidence points in the other direction. If Perkins were in on this, he would have left his truck unlocked. The suspect clearly had to break into the truck. And he left the hospital parking lot at a high speed, not calmly." Trina said.

"That is a good point." Jimmy agreed.

"So did you find anything of use?" Trina asked.

"No, so I have called in that Hart guy that investigated your barn. The sheriff gave me his number. He will be here in a few hours for a closer examination." Dolph said. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Any bleeding?"

"I am fine. I think every civil servant in the county has their eyes on my uterus." She chuckled.

"Well we have all known you for years and then Steve is such a nice guy. Besides, Naomi is already online browsing for maternity clothes." Jimmy smiled.

"I don't even want to think about that part of pregnancy." Trina groaned.

"Maternity clothes?" Jey asked.

"Needing them. I understand the baby has to grow, but…..I don't want to look different." She sighed.

"All women go through it. You will be just fine. Besides, I bet you look cute. Naomi even found maternity lingerie." Jimmy winked.

"Steve will love that." Jey chuckled.

Trina laughed. "Thanks guys. I needed that. Guess I am headed back to see if that video guy is making any progress."

Trina climbed back in the SUV and cranked up the air conditioning. The hot weather was making her feel sick but she did not want to worry her team or husband. And she was not about to be pulled off this case. She took a few deep breaths and rested for a moment.

When she felt the nausea settle, she pulled out onto the road. She drove back into Davis to the station. As she pulled into the station, she could see Steve had not yet returned.

2000 Hours

"You know Steve is going to be upset that you are still at work." Seth looked at Trina sitting at her desk.

"Maybe he will spank me." She winked.

"Pregnancy hormones getting to you?" Seth asked.

"Maybe, I mean it is still early in the pregnancy but my mind wanders a lot. Of course I am a newlywed and what newlywed doesn't daydream about their spouse?" she giggled.

"This could get interesting. You dragging Steve into the bathroom." Seth chuckled.

"Dr. Morrissey says that I can have sex as normal and it will not affect the baby."

"I don't know. Don't want the little guy born with a black eye." Seth said.

"I don't even want to know what you two are into now." John walked in from patrol.

"Trina is hoping Steve spanks her later." Seth laughed.

"I don't want to know." John shook his head. "Steve still isn't back from meeting with that video expert?"

"Not yet, I am waiting for him here. We also have no news on TJ Perkins. No one has called in with a report of a sighting or anything." Trina said.

"Add this case to the many piling up that make no sense." John sighed.

"There has to be something that I am not seeing. I keep looking over the files but…something is missing. Something I cannot put my finger on." She sighed.

"Well whatever is going on, we'll get it figured out." John assured her.

Steve walked in, carrying a few folders. Everyone looked up at him, waiting to hear what he had found out.

"Our video expert wasn't able to get a clear picture of our kidnapper's face. Whoever they are kept their face well hidden." Steve handed them folders. "Why aren't you at home resting?"

"I was waiting for you. Relax, Seth has been watching me like a hawk. And annoying me as usual." Trina said. "Did the guy find anything helpful on the tapes?"

"He analyzed that tape for over two hours. I owe him a huge favor. We're lucky that Cumberland County was willing to assist us." Steve said. "He was able to get a few close ups of the kidnapper. Based on his analysis, the kidnapper is about six-foot-tall and weighs about 250 to 260 pounds but hard to estimate with the dark clothing."

"These pictures are just of a guy in dark clothes." Trina looked at the printed out pictures. "At least I think it is a guy. I guess a girl could dress this way."

"This person is a bit chunky." Seth said.

"Whoever they are, they snuck into the parking lot, kept their head down and covered the entire time, broke into Perkins' truck and never showed his face while hiding in the truck." Steve sighed.

"Well we got a picture of them dressed this way. Let's spread it around the hospital and area and see if anyone has seen this person or recognizes the outfit. Although this outfit is so plain, probably everyone owns something similar. Track pants and hoodie." John sighed.

"Any word about Perkins?" Steve asked.

"Not a word. Wherever he is….I don't want to think about it." Trina said.

"I don't think anything else is gonna get done tonight. Time to head home." Steve said. "Seth can handle nightshift. If anything comes up, call me at home."

"Call us at home." Trina corrected.

"I dunno, I better call John instead. Trina said she wants spanked." Seth smirked.

"Seth!" she glared at him as she gathered her things.

"What the hell goes on around here when I am away?" Steve asked.

"Oh the kids are always into something." John laughed.

"Did you know pregnancy can affect libido? Well you got kids so you probably do." Seth said.

"I gotta quit leaving you two alone together." Steve shook his head.

"Come on, we can debate more baby names tonight. I am not naming any daughter of mine Maggie." Trina insisted.

"Why not? It is a name that has stood the test of time. Lots of people are using it." Steve countered.

"Exactly, it's trending right now. I don't want something trending. I want something special." Trina said.

"This from my wife who wants to name my son Liam." Steve said.

"You want to name your baby after Liam Neeson?" Seth laughed.

"Why not? He is talented, gorgeous, and tough as nails…used to be a boxer." Trina said.

"Then name him Mickey Rourke." Seth laughed more.

"Mickey…mouse, no it doesn't work." Trina said.

"Come on, we can discuss this at home. And no you are not naming him Liam." Steve chuckled.

"I thought you were naming him Seth Rollins Borden?" Seth smiled.

"You said that, not me." Trina laughed.

"Okay, what do you think of the name Nathan, or Nathaniel?" Trina asked as they walked out.

"Ten bucks says when that baby is born, Steve looks at it, looks at her and lets her name it whatever she wants." John said.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Thank you so much for all the reviews and messages. I truly appreciate all of them and enjoy reading them. As you can tell the feedback has inspired me and I am on a roll with my writing. Batistasprincess (I enjoy writing Bray as a good guy, several stories I have read had him as the heel and one of my previous ones did. This has been a nice change.) reikat (Y2J can be funny. But my godson rolls on the floor laughing every time Seth calls him 'sparkle crotch'. Don't worry, Steve's family will be involved…the good, the bad and the ugly.) Paisley2 (Interesting theory so I think you will be surprised when someone shows up later as an expert of something. Seth makes us all smile for days.) nixystix (Sting does have cute boys. Garrett looks a lot like his dad. And with Trina having two grown step-sons opens up a lot of possibilities.) carlyrosanna83 (I will hit the mall at some point and look for a Sting pop vinyl.)_


	17. When Steve is Away

August 29th, 0800 Hours

Steve walked with Trina into the Davis Station. She had a cup of the tea Bray had given her and the nausea was at a minimum.

"Trina, you sure you don't mind me going out of town again?" Steve asked as she sat down.

"Steve, it is for two days. You are just going to Pleasants County to meet with their team and compare notes and evidence on the Dana Brooke case. I will be fine." She chuckled.

"I am the county detective, so it is my job." Steve said.

"I know. Trust me, everything will be fine. Jack won't let anything near me. Bray says he knows I am pregnant. Even Def Leppard is nudging my tummy." She laughed.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Seth piped up.

"Oh that is comforting, the president of the I-masturbate-over-Taylor-Swift fan club looking after me while my husband is out of town." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Very funny. Besides, I gotta take care of little Seth Borden. According to what I read online, he is now the size of a prune." Seth smiled.

"While the baby is the size of a prune, stuff on me is starting to expand." Trina frowned.

"What are you talking about? You haven't gained weight and I don't see a bump yet." Seth said.

"My bras are getting tighter. Doctor Morrissey says that is normal and my body is preparing for lactation." She sighed. "I need new bras."

"Once again, a cute girl talking dirty and I can't enjoy it." Seth groaned.

"Seth, make sure she gets rest, doesn't work too much and don't annoy her." Steve said. He kissed Trina. "I will call you when I get there."

"Drive safe. I love you." She smiled.

"Love you too. Take care of the little one." He patted her tummy.

"I will." She watched him walk out.

"So, how goes picking out a name?" Seth asked.

"We can't agree on anything. I have several names I like for a boy. Liam, Isiah and Nathaniel. He isn't too keen on any of them. And don't even get me started on girl names." She sighed.

"And how about those Cubs? Nearly September and way out in first place. This is the year of the Cubs." Seth smirked.

Trina laid her head on her desk. "My sports life is falling apart. The Cubs are the best team in baseball. Ronda Rousey is returning to the UFC. And if I hear one more thing about Michael Phelps I am gonna pull my hair out."

"Look at the bright side, this is his last Olympics." Seth laughed.

"I know, I am just tired of hearing about him. I guess for me when it comes to US Olympic swimmers, my heart will always belong to Mark Spitz." Trina lifted her head.

"You weren't even born when he competed." Seth pointed out.

"What's your point? Heroes can be admired at any time. Besides, he was the original swimmer setting records. And under stress I am sure considering all that went down at the 1972 games. You know the US team had him leave early and miss the closing ceremonies to keep him safe." Trina said.

"Oh great, the kids are already talking sports. Junior is gonna be born talking like a sports commentator." John walked in.

"Jimmy V." Trina muttered.

"What?" Seth looked at her.

"When John said sports commentator it made me think of Jim Valvano. Now he would be someone special to name the baby after. I adore Jimmy V." Trina smiled.

"At this point the baby is going to be named Liam Neeson Mark Spitz James Valvano Roberto Clemente Payton Manning Mario Lemeuix Isiah Thomas Borden." Seth laughed.

"Just wait until you have one. Picking a name isn't easy." Trina told him.

"Now for important matters, any news on TJ Perkins?" John poured a cup of coffee.

"No, no calls about Perkins. No one has called to say they recognize the kidnapper. And no one has called about recognizing Falls Doe either." Seth said.

"I don't get it. We have those pictures sent to all surrounding counties. How can no one have seen anything?" Trina asked.

1200 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk working while Seth caught a nap in the break room. He was going off nightshift so John could take it for a while since his wife was going out of town. She heard the door open and looked up to see Naomi walk in carrying take-out boxes.

"What are you doing here?" Trina smiled.

"I thought I would have lunch with you and make sure my Godchild got to eat lunch with daddy out of town." Naomi smiled and sat down. "And I have some really cute maternity outfits I have found for you to look at. We need to hit the mall."

"I am so glad you stopped over. Today is slow." Trina smiled. "What is the big news around the county?"

"Bischoff is hosting a big Harvest Festival for the chamber of commerce, county employees and special guest Brock Lesner." Naomi said.

"The MMA guy? What the hell would he find interesting in Tucker County?" Trina opened her food.

"Bischoff invited him. Since Lesner has so much money, he wants Lesner to see the facilities of the Canaan Valley Resort." Naomi rolled her eyes.

"So basically Bischoff is hoping Lesner comes here to spend money." Trina giggled.

"Pretty much. And with it being an election year, Bischoff is still trying to show how much he cares for the people of his county." Naomi said. "But the Fall Festival should be fun. It is going to be out at the resort on Halloween weekend."

"Oh that will be fun." Trina agreed.

"So how goes things with Steve's ex?" Naomi asked.

"She is fine. Actually, a few nights ago she called she say she had made peace with the new baby. She said she spoke with her minister and after some talking, she is happy for us. She even asked us to keep her updated on how things go." Trina said. "Steven on the other hand has thrown Steve through a loop."

"He is not accepting the baby?" Naomi took a sip of her drink.

"Not as well as we had hoped. He says he wants his dad to be happy, but thinks Steve is too old to have another child. And while he hasn't said anything, there is some jealousy there. Steven has always been the youngest and Steve's baby." Trina said.

"How is Garrett handling the news?" Naomi asked.

"Are you kidding? I think he has already bought season tickets to the Golden State Warriors and bought a baseball glove to play catch. He is convinced it is a boy. He says his dad can't make girls." Trina laughed.

"With all the morning sickness you have been dealing with, I think it is a girl." Naomi said. "How else you been feeling?"

"Not bad. That tea of Bray's really has helped. And I keep wearing the little bell he gave me, even though experts say the baby won't be able to hear for another eight weeks." Trina said. "But my boobs are growing. The doctor says that is normal. But I can tell a size difference and my bras don't fit. I am going to need new ones and soon."

Naomi laughed. "What does your husband think about that?"

"He hasn't said anything other than it is part of pregnancy, but I can tell he is enjoying it." Trina said, making Naomi laugh harder.

"That is so like a man. Even guys that are leg and ass men still love a good pair of boobs." Naomi laughed.

"Hey mine were good before." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Oh I know that. And Steve would love you even if you were an A cup. But don't think that men don't love that part of pregnancy is your breasts enlarge. They also love that it increases libido. So for a few months they get a big breasted horny woman." Naomi winked.

Trina cracked up laughing as Seth walked out of the breakroom. "I thought you were sleeping?"

"I was, but then I heard 'boobs' and it woke me up. But once again, it is pretty ladies talking dirty and I can't enjoy it." Seth grumbled.

"Oh it is not that bad. Look at the bright side, while Trina's bra size increases, you can enjoy looking at her." Naomi chuckled.

"Don't encourage him. He might want me to be his kitten again." Trina giggled.

"You two abuse me." Seth mock pouted.

"Oh you love us." Trina said. "Besides, after my wedding and being my brides-person, you are allowed to join in the girl talk."

"Trina has always had a cute pair." Seth grabbed a few of Trina's fries.

"Seth!" Trina looked up at him.

"What? We have known each other for years. You think I never looked? Or noticed you were cold?" Seth shrugged.

"Must be a guy thing. I have known you for years and never checked out your package." Trina said.

"Oh it is a guy thing. Do you know how disappointed I was that your kitten outfit didn't show more cleave even though it was just for work?" Seth smirked.

"I didn't want to be falling out. I have this weird pet peeve about nipple slips. You know those celebs who wear revealing dresses and suddenly bam there's a nipple." Trina said.

"Besides, even though you two were broken up at the time. Steve was still so into you that if you had accidentally fallen out of that dress, he might have dragged you into one of those back rooms himself." Seth laughed.

John walked in, dressed in his civilian clothes. "Just stopped by to pick up a few things before I start nightshift tonight. What's going on?"

"We're talking about boobs." Seth said.

"I don't want to know. How do I always walk in at the wrong moment?" he shook his head.

1500 Hours

"Trina, I got a great name for a baby girl." Seth said.

She looked up from her desk. "I am not naming my baby Taylor Swift."

"No, I was thinking Elizabeth." Seth smirked.

Trina rolled her eyes. "I am not naming my baby Lizzie Borden!"

"It was a joke. Come on, laugh." Seth chuckled.

"Real funny, why don't you have a baby and name it Danny?" she shot back.

"His last name was Rolling." Seth countered.

"Close enough." She insisted.

"What are you two into now?" Jerry walked out of his office.

"The usual." Trina shrugged.

"I just got a call from that arson investigator. He said that the accelerant used in TJ Perkins' truck was gasoline." Jerry told them.

"And considering that can be bought anywhere….that leaves us nowhere." Seth said.

"So what do we do? Sit here and wait for Perkins to show up dead like Dana Brooke did?" Trina asked.

"We're at a dead end. I am not sure what else to try." Jerry said.

"I hate this. I feel like we are sitting here waiting for this guy to die." Trina said.

"Trina, this is one of those times it is hard to be a cop. Hang in there." Jerry told her.

"I am going to take a shower." She stood up.

The men watched her walk into the locker room.

"Should we let her be working this case?" Seth asked the chief.

"Do you want to be the one to try pulling her off of it?" Jerry asked.

"She shouldn't be stressed right now." Seth said.

"Well women in all walks of life have children. And if we limit her much more we'll be shorthanded. For now, let's just keep an eye on her and not let her overdo it." Jerry walked back into his office.

2100 Hours

Trina was sitting on the couch watching TV with Jack laying across her lap despite her attempts to get him to get down. She was arguing with the baseball game, convinced Pittsburgh was losing just to annoy her and make Seth happy. Wonder jumped up next to her, following her voice. Before she could pick up the cat, the phone rang.

"House of baseball insanity and animals." She answered.

"How worried do I need to be?" Steve laughed.

"I don't know what the Pirates are doing. McCutchen is in a slump to the point some fans are accusing him of bad play on purpose so he will be traded. And if they don't do something about Jeff Locke soon, the fans may lynch him. The good news is, Pittsburgh has this awesome utility player, Sean Rodriguez….he looks like Seth." Trina said.

"Why the sudden interest in the Pirates?" Steve laughed.

"They are a national league team, although from the looks of it, they couldn't beat a little league team. And to think last year they had the second best record in all of baseball, only one game behind St. Louis. This is all Seth's fault." She said.

"It is Seth's fault Pittsburgh is playing bad?"

"No, it is his fault that I got interested in baseball again." She laughed.

"Just don't break anything." He chuckled. "How is everything besides the game?"

"Well we got nothing of value from TJ Perkins' truck. No one has called with info on Falls Doe or our kidnapper. And Naomi is going to take me bra shopping this weekend." She said.

"Sounds like you had a full day." Steve said.

"How are things going in Point Pleasant?" she asked.

"Dana Brooke's family says they have no idea who could've hurt her. Nothing in her life would have gotten her in trouble. Her boyfriend is still in the clear. Their forensic team found nothing on her clothing. Basically, not much to go on. They have no idea how she got to Pleasants county." Steve said.

"I feel like we are running in circles." She sighed. "And I miss you."

"I miss you too. How is my little one?" he asked.

"Jack is guarding them, they are… Brault you idiot, you do realize your team could win a wildcard spot if you knew what you were doing?!"

"You are fine if you are yelling at the TV." Steve laughed.

"This game may give me cardiac arrest." Trina sighed. "When are you coming home?"

"I should be home late tomorrow. Not much else I can learn here. Just behave and don't kill Seth before I get home." He said.

"The way this game is going, no promises." She laughed. "I love you."

"Love you too. Take care of the baby." Steve hung up.

Trina put the phone back and patted her tummy. "Daddy misses you."

Jack leaped to his feet and began growling. Trina frowned and then heard a car door slam. She got to her feet and looked out the window. She saw Seth bounding up the stairs carrying a bag.

"Jack, it's okay." She grabbed his collar as she opened the door.

"Is he gonna eat me?" Seth asked.

"Only if I tell him to." She soothed Jack. "What brings you out here?"

"Well I know how you miss your husband when he is out of town. So I decided to spend some time with you and little Seth Borden." Seth said. "And I brought a few beers for me and orange juice for you and little Seth."

"What if they are a Sethette?" she laughed as she let Seth in.

"It is a boy, trust me." Seth said.

"If it is, I hope he pees on you when you try changing his diaper." Trina laughed.

"Don't worry, when he is a little older, I will teach him to write his name in the dirt while peeing." Seth opened a beer.

"Just what every proud mother dreams of." She rolled her eyes.

"Every little guy needs an uncle to teach him the fun stuff…you know the stuff his mom will yell at him for. Peeing his name in the dirt, catching garden lizards, spitting sunflower seeds for distance, how to hide his vegetables in his napkin….I can't wait for him to get here." Seth smiled.

"You might drive me crazy, but you are going to be a good uncle. Boy or girl they are gonna be lucky to have you. Although between you, John and the twins this kid is gonna know every trick in the book. I will never be able to keep up with them." She laughed.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Love you guys for all the feedback. It seriously keeps me writing faster and I appreciate every bit of it. I take the time to read and consider all of it. Batistasprincess (I love guy/girl friends that joke around but love each other…big inspiration for Seth.) reikat (Wow, TJ is of Asian descent? How did I not know this? Thanks for the info, apparently I need to pay more attention. LOL I think the twist coming is one no one will see coming. So far no one has nailed it, a few on the right tracks but not the right train.) jcott3 (Glad you caught the Bobby Fulton references. In a few chapters I am interested if you will catch the people, sure you will as you are always on your game. And I am sure Seth will be happy either way.) carlyrosanna83 (I am so glad you are here every chapter.) nixystix ( I see Seth more as the type to hand a baby that needs changed off to someone else, and then pick it up again the minute it is cleaned up and fresh. LOL)_


	18. More Questions and Struggles

_**Warning-**_ _Mature material discussed in this chapter. Reader discretion is advised._

September 10th, 2300 Hours

Trina relaxed in the shower, letting the water roll over her. She could hear Steve moving around in their bedroom. She grabbed her washcloth and her body wash.

"Room for one more?" Steve pulled back the curtain.

She looked over his naked form. "Oh you are always welcome in my shower."

Steve climbed in the shower and closed the curtain. "Want me to wash your back?"

"And my front." She kissed him.

"Have I told you how sexy you are?" Steve chuckled.

"You still gonna think that when I am the size of a blimp?" Trina asked.

"Your heart is the sexiest thing about you so yes I will." He kissed her again.

They heard the phone ringing and Steve groaned. Trina sighed and grabbed a towel. She hurried out of the shower and into the bedroom.

"Hello?" she grabbed the phone.

"Trina, sorry to bother you at home." Seth was on the other end. "We got a dead body found in the woods. Some kids sneaking out to fool around found it."

"TJ Perkins?" she asked while hurrying to dry off.

"I don't know. They didn't give off many details; they were shook up on the phone. I called Dolph and he will meet us there. Tell Steve. The body was found out by the county line." Seth said.

"Okay, I will be there." She hung up the phone. "Steve, we got a body out by the county line." She yelled into the bathroom and began pulling on clothes.

Steve walked out of the bathroom and frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed."

"You are not going to a crime scene." He said.

"It is a body recovery, I will be fine." She continued dressing.

"It is late, you worked a full day. You need to rest." Steve said.

"I will sleep after we recover the body and gather evidence." She shrugged.

"Trina, I want you to stay home and rest." Steve told her.

She turned and looked at him. "I am fine. I am going."

"Trina…"

"I am going!" she glared.

"You need to rest." Steve grabbed her hand.

"Steve, I do not want to fight with you, but one way or the other I am going. So you have five minutes to get dressed and ride with me or I will meet you there." She pulled her hand away and walked downstairs.

2345 Hours

Trina pulled her Jeep off the side of the road and cut the engine. She climbed out of the vehicle and walked to meet the others already gathering supplies.

Seth frowned. "Trina, what are you doing here? Where is Steve?"

"You said we have a case, I am here. Steve should be coming." She said.

Dolph looked up and frowned. "Trina, you shouldn't be out here."

"Now don't you start too. I will rest but I am capable of helping recover a body and gather evidence." She rolled her eyes.

"I am more concerned about the mosquitoes out here. Zika is in the US now." Dolph said.

"There have been no reported cases in West Virginia from local transmission." She countered.

"And with all the tourists that come through here, I don't think you should risk it." Dolph insisted.

"Have all you men held a meeting about the top 100 ways to drive me insane over this pregnancy?" she glared.

"Look, why don't you take the teenagers back to the station? They need to give their statement and there are no bugs there or snakes for that matter." Seth offered.

She crossed her arms. "You do realize I am not helpless just because I am pregnant, right?"

"Yes, we do. And you have a good way with witnesses so it would be a big help if you talk to with the kids. They are shook up." Seth said.

"And I promise that I will call you to come to the autopsy." Dolph said. "You are part of the case."

Trina sighed and realized she was outnumbered. She heard Steve pull up along the road. She looked and saw two teenagers standing next to the SUV Seth drove out.

"Okay, keep me posted. I am gonna take the kids back to the station." Trina sighed.

Trina walked over to the teenage couple. She recognized the girl as one of Ricky Morton's daughters and inwardly groaned, knowing how much he worried about his girls. The boy was Billy Gibson, Robert's nephew.

"Kaitie, what are you doing out here? Does your daddy know where you are?" Trina asked.

"No, I am in so much trouble." Kaitie said.

"We'll worry about that later. Come on, I am gonna take you two back to the station and get your statements. Then we will contact parents." Trina said. "We'll take my Jeep."

Trina starting walking with the kids back to her Jeep. Steve was talking with Seth and Dolph. He reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Trina…"

"I got to get the kids back to the station. The girl is Ricky Morton's daughter. He is going to flip out." She said and kept walking.

Seth frowned as he watched Steve and Trina tense around each other. "Everything okay?"

"She is upset because I thought she should stay home and rest after working all day." Steve sighed.

"We're gonna have to handcuff her to the desk before that baby is born." Seth said.

September 11th, 0030 Hours

Trina walked into the interview room where she had left the kids carrying the sodas she had went to get for them. She handed them each a soda and then sat down across from them.

"Okay, I am going to have to ask you some questions and find out exactly what happened. Why don't you start by telling what you doing out in the woods tonight so late?" Trina started the tape recorder and grabbed her notepad.

"We had gone out there for a little privacy. I had a couple of sleeping bags." Billy said.

"Do your parents know you were out there? You are both minors." Trina looked at them.

"No, dad thinks I was staying the night at my friend Lacey Von Erich's house. I had Billy pick me up there. Dad has been super overprotective the past year." Kaitie said.

"So you two sneak out to the woods to be alone, teens have been doing that since the beginning of time. Now how did you two find a body?" she asked.

"We were walking through the woods, trying to find a good spot. You know level, pretty clear and private." Billy said.

"Walking and looking for a spot. Was that when you found the body?" Trina asked.

"Sorta, we could smell something really bad. Like to the point I started gagging." Kaitie said.

"I thought maybe someone had dumped garbage or that it was a dead animal. So I told Kaitie to stay put while I checked it out." Billy said.

"Kaitie did you see the body at all?" Trina asked.

"No, Billy left me standing and walked off on his own." Kaitie said.

"Right, I walked a few yards over on my own. The smell was horrible. Finally, I saw a something, but when I flashed my light on it…I could see it was a person. They were bloated and nasty looking. I ran back and grabbed Kaitie and we both ran out of the woods." Billy explained.

"We got back to where we left Billy's car and locked ourselves inside while we called for help. We figured if someone came after us, we could just start he car and drive away." Kaitie said.

"Did you see anything else around the area? Any people? Any backpacks, purses or personal items? Cell Phone?" Trina asked.

"I didn't really look around. I was trying to find what smell like shit." Billy said.

"Did you touch anything?" Trina asked.

"No way, that body looked like something from a horror movie. I wasn't about to touch it." Billy said.

"Okay, you kids relax and sit tight. I am going to call your families. Right now, instead of worrying about what your parents might say or do, just stay calm. With all that has been going on around here lately, finding a body is lucky. You shouldn't have been out there alone. You could've been harmed." She stood up.

She walked out of the room and down the hall to call the families. She was dreading calling Ricky Morton so decided to call Rick Gibson first.

0110 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk working on the paperwork that went with the kids' statement when she heard the front door open and two concerned fathers hurried in. Ricky Morton and Rick Gibson both looked anxious.

"Gentlemen, sorry to bring you out so late." She stood up.

"Where are the kids?" Gibson asked.

"They are here. They are both fine. I need you two to calm down before I bring them out." Trina said.

"What exactly happened? Kaitie is supposed to be at the Von Erich house. I drove her over there myself earlier." Morton said.

"The important thing you both need to remember here is that both kids are safe, they didn't break any laws. They may have broken your family rules but no laws. They were not drunk or on drugs. I want to point out the positives here and help you remember that they were just doing what a lot of teens do, they just ended up in a bad situation." Trina said.

"You said they were out in the woods on the phone." Gibson said.

"Apparently, Billy and Kaitie are seeing each other, I don't know for how long. Tonight after you dropped Kaitie off at the Von Erich's, she had Billy pick her up there and they planned to sneak off to the woods for some privacy." She explained. "While they were walking through the woods, they encountered a bad odor and when Billy went to investigate, he found a dead body. They immediately left and called the authorities."

"They snuck out?" Morton asked.

"Yes, but the important thing is that both kids are safe. Now I understand that you both are upset at trust being broken, but both kids are shook up and they do not need a big scene right now. They need reassurance and support." Trina said.

"Are you saying we shouldn't punish them?" Morton asked.

"I am saying that right now that can wait. Let the kids and yourselves have some time to calm down and process what has happened. Then discuss punishment with them." Trina said.

"Will you need to press any charges on them?" Gibson asked.

"No, they didn't break any laws other than breaking curfew which we can overlook considering the circumstances. We might need to question them later depending on how the investigation about whoever they found goes." Trina said. "Now I am going to get them. But remember, no scenes. Calm support and reassurance."

Both dads nodded. Trina walked to the back and down the hall to the interview room. She walked inside and found the kids still looking shook up.

"Okay kids, your fathers are here to take you home." Trina said. "Try to get some rest tonight."

The kids stood up and followed her down the hall. Both kids went to hug their dad when they saw them. She stood back and let them talk quietly for a few minutes.

"You can take them on home. We will call you if we need anything else." She said.

As the two families were walking out, Seth walked in.

"Back already?" Trina asked.

"Yeah, Steve is finishing looking for evidence. We had a time with the body. It was so decayed and messy." Seth sat down. "Dolph said he would call us when he has some news from the autopsy."

"What can you tell me about the deceased?" Trina asked.

"Not much. As I said, it was decaying pretty badly, of course with this heat, no wonder. No clothing to be seen. Appears to be male from what Dolph could see."

"TJ Perkins?" Trina asked.

"I couldn't tell. Maybe the autopsy will be able to tell us something." Seth said. "In the meantime, you go lay down in the break room and get some sleep."

"I am tired so I will not argue with you." She agreed.

"Come on, little Seth Borden is sleepy." Seth nudged her towards the break room.

She went in and laid down on the couch. "If anything happens, wake me up."

"I will, now get some rest." Seth told her.

0745 Hours

Steve set a garbage can near Trina in case she was sick when she woke up. Since her ginger tea was at home, he put a can of ginger ale next to her on the couch. He was glad that she had managed to get uninterrupted sleep. He knew her well enough to know she would still be miffed at him. He walked out of the break room and over to her desk where he sat down.

"How is she?" Seth asked.

"Still asleep. And thank you for insisting she get some sleep." Steve sipped his coffee.

"Not a big deal." He shrugged.

"Anything new from Dolph?" Steve asked.

"Nothing since he called a few hours ago." Seth said. "He said he thinks he can pull prints off a couple of the fingers despite the decay."

They heard the sounds of gagging and puking and realized Trina was awake. Steve got up and walked to the break room to find her puking into the garbage can he had placed by her. He sat down next to her and rubbed her back as she continued puking.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Those women that said they enjoyed pregnancy were full of crap." She groaned and fell back against the couch.

He handed her the ginger ale. "Drink some of this; it will help your stomach."

"What time is it?" she tried to sit up.

"Almost 8, we let you sleep as long as you wanted."

"Eight? What about the autopsy?" she asked.

"Calm down, Dolph called a few hours ago and said he needed more time. Said he was finding odd things while running the basic tests." Steve said.

"Oh….catch me up on what we have so far." She said.

"We don't have much. Right now, just settle your stomach. You okay?"

"I am just having morning sickness." She said. "I have an appointment with Dr. Morrissey tomorrow."

"I will be there. You are almost to the second trimester. Pretty soon the morning sickness should ease up." Steve said. "You still mad at me?"

"I don't know. I know you are trying to take care of me. But I can handle being a cop and being pregnant." She said.

"Trina, this is new to you. You will have to slow down your usual pace." Steve told her.

"But I was not going to a dangerous call and I still slept when I could."

"And Dolph and Seth are the reason you weren't traipsing through the woods because they had Zika concerns." Steve said.

"I am going to shower." She cut him off. "Come get me if Dolph calls."

1200 Hours

Trina was still not happy with her husband, but acting professional as they both walked into the morgue. Dolph had finally called them and said that he needed to discuss the case with them. Steve followed her quietly figuring it better not upset her while she was pregnant and knowing that she would come around when she was ready.

They walked into the exam room and Dolph putting the body back in the freezer.

"What do you have for us?" Trina asked.

"I am sure this is homicide, but it is the strangest I have personally investigated." Dolph said. "I don't even know where to start."

"Start with the basics. Tell us about the victim." Steve said.

"Upon closer examination I can tell you that our victim is not TJ Perkins. This man is African American. Based on bones and teeth, I would say he is 20-30 years old, five feet and eight inches tall. Estimated weight is about 160 to 175 pounds." Dolph said. "I managed to get a fingerprint off the left thumb, the rest of his fingers were too badly decayed due to exposure to the elements."

"Cause and time of death?" Trina asked.

"Time of death is hard to say. Based on the maggots and larvae in the body, I would estimate he was in the woods about 5 or 6 days." Dolph frowned. "Cause of death is where things get weird."

"Compared to what that has come through here the past year?" Trina frowned.

"I did an analysis of his stomach contents and took swabs from his mouth….he had eaten feces. Not sure from what animal." Dolph explained.

"I think I am gonna be sick." Trina said.

"Morning sickness?" Dolph asked.

"No, just the thought of eating that." She groaned.

"I don't think it was consensual. I found wounds on his wrists and ankles that indicate some kind of restraint." Dolph said.

"Eating feces might be disgusting but that isn't what killed him." Steve said.

"It was just the first of strange things I found. When I ran tissue screenings from several of his internal organs, I got weird results. So strange that I ran them three times to be sure. Someone had injected this guy with household cleaning products. I found oven cleaner, ammonia, and toilet cleaner in his system." Dolph handed them a few papers off the table.

"How do you know it was injected? Could this be a suicide by household chemicals? I have known a few people to try drinking bleach to kill themselves." Trina asked.

"His mouth and esophagus show no signs of chemical burn. My guess would be he was injected but with the body so decayed, it will take me a while longer to find injection marks, if I even can at this point." Dolph said.

"The chemicals killed him?" Steve asked.

"If they didn't kill him, he would've been in tremendous pain. But there is one more thing that is strange and I think probably killed him and ended his torment from the chemicals." Dolph said and handed them some autopsy photos.

"What is this on his chest we are looking at?" Trina asked.

"Burn marks, but I can't tell from what. However, based on other things I found during autopsy, these burn marks were most likely made by something electrical. And I think he was electrocuted." Dolph said. "His has fractured bones, bulging eyes and broken teeth…all of which result from high voltage electricity."

"Wait, let me get this all straight….from what the autopsy showed, someone restrained this guy, force-fed him feces, injected him with household cleaning products and then electrocuted him?" Trina frowned. "That can't be right, must be the pregnancy fog I keep hearing about."

"No pregnancy fog, that is what I estimate happened based on his autopsy." Dolph sighed.

"What could someone hook up to someone to electrocute them like that?" Steve asked.

"I am not sure so I am going to do some investigating. But I got that thumb print and description for you." Dolph said.

"Thanks, let us know what else you find." Steve said.

1800 Hours

"So we got the prints sent to Charleston, nothing back yet. Dolph is still working on some additional tests trying to get more information on the victim. And we have yet another case that makes no sense and the victim suffered a horrible death. But it doesn't match any way that the other victims died except for he was restrained." Trina looked over her files spread across her desk.

"And we have no information on who Falls Doe is and no sign of TJ Perkins." Layfield sighed.

Seth walked in, ready to take over for nightshift. "From the looks on your faces I can tell the case isn't going well."

"Just like everything else today." Trina groaned and laid her head on her desk.

"Quit pouting at your husband for trying to take care of you and you'll feel better." Seth said.

"Besides, you have a doctor's appointment. You don't need to go in there stressed out." John said.

"I know. And we will get to hear the baby's heartbeat tomorrow." She said.

"Can you tell what it is yet?" Seth asked.

"Dr. Morrissey says at 18-20 weeks we will find out what the baby is. I am only 13 weeks." She lifted her head.

"I am telling you, it's a boy. Future first-baseman for the Cubs." Seth smiled.

"You mean future pitcher for the Pirates. A Cy Young award winner. Maybe by then they will have their act together and actually win something." She said.

"Little Seth Borden will play for the Cubs." Seth sat down on the floor and leaned towards Trina's abdomen. "Tell mommy, when you get here you are gonna grow up dreaming of playing for the Cubs, get signed after an amazing college career at WVU and make your big league debut at Wrigley Field with Uncle Seth sitting along the first-base line."

Trina rubbed her tummy. "Tell Uncle Seth that when you get here you are gonna grow up cheering for the entire NL except the Cubs, dreaming of playing for the Pirates because they are the closest so mom and dad can attend more games. And after an amazing college career at WVU you will get signed and make your MLB debut at PNC Park with mom and dad sitting behind home plate."

John leaned over. "At least they agree on where you should go to college. Just promise Uncle John you won't go to the University of Pittsburgh and I'll be happy."

"Okay, I am headed home. Steve should be home soon." Trina said.

"Tell mommy to be nice to daddy, but not too nice. You don't want to end up with a black eye." Seth said.

"You do realize when a woman gets pregnant the cervix closes up so no bacteria can reach the baby. So if something microscopic can't reach the baby, Steve sure can't." Trina rolled her eyes.

"I can't be sure, but I think you just bragged about your husband's junk." Seth smirked.

"Yes, I did. Now if you were my husband, I might have to worry. That little thing of yours might actually reach him." She deadpanned.

"Little? I'll have you know one of my college girlfriends wanted to use my magic stick to make herself a sex toy." Seth said.

"What do you mean?" Trina asked.

"You actually want to know?" John asked.

"She found some kit online where you make your own sex toy. They send you all you need. You take a mold of a guy's penis while he is erect and then use that to make your own toy." Seth explained.

"First of all, that sounds like something Heyman would've sold. Second, she wanted to use yours? Third, magic stick?" she snickered.

"Would you rather I call it my nightstick…you know give it a cop theme?" Seth asked.

"Just when I thought I had heard it all from you two…you're having a conversation about what to call Seth's junk." John groaned.

"Okay, okay. We are finished, I am headed home. See you tomorrow John. Later Officer Oliver Clothesoff." She winked as she gathered her things.

"Shhh, that is my stripper name." Seth chuckled.

"There is an image I need…Seth gyrating his hips to the tune of 'Thong Song'." She rolled her eyes.

"You two are gonna drive me insane." John sighed.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I enjoyed reading all of them. Just a note, a break in the case is coming and I am anxious to see how readers react to it. Drewben (I have tons of respect for Chipper Jones as a player. I remember him playing back in the day when Atlanta was in the playoffs every year for….10 years?) jcott3 (I didn't even think of the 40 whacks rhyme, LOL. I guess if they wanted to go with Beth, they have the option of Bethany. But never fear, more antics on that later.) carlyrosanna83 (Steven opens up the opportunity for some realism of trying to blend families, especially with a younger wife.) Nixystix (Glad you are reviewing, I love good feedback and jokes.) reikat (Well Seth is practically a 'girlfriend' to Trina so it was fun to write. Glad you laughed at the Lizzie Borden joke. It was meant as a lighter moment.)_


	19. Teddy Bear

September 12th, 0945 Hours

Trina was sitting on the table fussing with the paper covering it, waiting for Dr. Morrissey to come in. Steve was sitting in the chair by the exam table, watching her complain the paper was sticking to her bare skin.

"You're starting to get a baby bump." Steve said.

She looked up at him. "What? Already?"

He chuckled. "It is not that noticeable. I am with you every day and see you changing clothes and such so I am gonna notice sooner than anyone else."

"Well at least I got some maternity clothes since Naomi and I have been shopping." Trina said.

There was a knock on the door and then Dr. Morrissey walked in carrying her chart.

"Mrs. Borden, glad to see you back." He smiled. "Mr. Borden, glad you are here. Supportive husbands make things so much easier."

"How does everything look?" Trina asked.

"Blood pressure is good, measurements are on target. You seem to have all the normal symptoms for this point in your pregnancy." Morrissey sat down on his stool. "13 weeks, end of the first trimester. A few things to expect over the next several weeks. As you enter the second trimester, your chances of miscarriage drop drastically. Most women find their morning sickness stops or lessens, but that is not always the case so don't get mad at me if you continue having it. You should have more energy. You might get some nosebleeds or stuffy noses, this is completely normal due to the hormones changes causes increases in your mucous membranes throughout the body. You might gain some weight but that is normal. Just keep an eye on it; too much weight gain is not healthy. But best of all, in the next few weeks you should be able to feel your baby move. It will be little flutters and movements that only you can feel. It will still be a bit before it will move enough that your husband can feel it."

"That is a lot to take in." she looked unsure.

"I will give you information to read when you leave that should help and you can always call if you have questions." The doctor assured her. "Mr. Borden, how are you handling everything? I know you have other children so you are a blessing to Trina that you aren't freaking out every time she vomits."

"My biggest concern is her workload. She doesn't like slowing down." Steve said.

Morrissey smiled. "That is normal for a lot of first-time expectant mothers. I had one woman who thought she could do everything as normal except drink alcohol. However, as long as she isn't lifting anything heavy or at risk of being hurt and sleeping and eating right, she can continue pretty much as normal. But I know as a cop that means a change in her routine. If she is struggling with that, it is normal and the hormones will make her more emotional about things she would normally brush off."

"Okay, sounds like everything is normal." Steve smiled.

"Good, now let's hear your baby's heartbeat." Morrissey smiled. "Mrs. Borden, lift your lovely paper top and I will get the Doppler ready."

Trina laid back on the table and fussed with the paper top given to her as she got it lifted but still covered her bra. Morrissey turned back to her he had covered the Doppler with gel.

"Now, I am going to turn on the monitor and place the Doppler on your abdomen. If you don't hear anything right away, do not panic. I have to move the Doppler around to find where the baby is in your uterus, when I find them then you will hear a heartbeat. And it is going to be very fast, not like your heartbeat." He explained.

She nodded and Steve moved closer so he could see what the doctor was doing.

"And I have a surprise for you so you can let your friends listen to the baby's heartbeat too." Dr. Morrissey smiled. "Ready?"

"Yeah." She nodded and looked over to Steve who smiled at her.

Dr. Morrissey put the Doppler on her abdomen and turned on the machine. They didn't hear anything and he moved the Doppler around. After a few moments, he finally found the right spot.

"There they are." Morrissey smiled. "Nice, strong heartbeat." He carefully watched the monitor.

"Do you hear that? There is really a baby in there. I mean, I knew there was but…." Trina looked over at Steve.

He smiled at her, realizing that despite everything she had experienced with her pregnancy, hearing the baby had made everything more real for her. "Sounds pretty amazing."

"Are they okay? Anything sound wrong?" she asked the doctor.

"Not at all, sounds great. Normal beats per minute, nothing unusual." Morrissey told her.

1100 Hours

Trina practically ran into the Davis station carrying a teddy bear. Steve followed behind chuckling at her antics and glad to see her so happy. She hurried in and saw Seth sitting at his desk, filling in until she finished her doctor's appointment.

"Seth, you are never going to believe it." She hugged him.

"You are having twins?" he guessed.

"No, I got something special. Here, squeeze his paw." She handed him the bear.

Seth raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to now?"

"Go ahead, it's nothing bad." Steve assured him.

Seth squeezed the bear's paw and it began playing a recording of the baby's heartbeat. "What is that?"

"That is the baby's heartbeat. Dr. Morrissey puts recordings of the baby's heartbeat in stuffed animals for expectant mothers. What a cute idea and a great keepsake." She gushed.

"Really? That is what little Seth Borden sounds like right now?" Seth smiled. "That is awesome."

"Isn't it?" she giggled.

"Well how is the little guy?" Seth pushed the paw again.

"Doctor said everything is fine. I go back in a few weeks." She smiled. "Jerry, come hear this."

Jerry stepped out of his office. "What is all the noise out here? You guys are having way too much fun to be at work." He laughed.

"Listen to this. The doctor put a recording of the baby's heartbeat in a teddy bear." She squeezed the paw.

Jerry smiled. "What next? They didn't have such things when my kids were born."

"Where is John? I want him to hear it too." She asked.

"He had to go out to the elementary school. Had a Karen Angle call." Seth snickered.

"Oh what now?" Steve asked.

"From what I got…..you know how Missy Hyatt loves to gossip and carry on. Kurt's son got sick at school today and vomited in the classroom. Nurse Combs of course tries calling Karen but can't reach her on the phone. So then, Debbie tries calling Kurt. Kurt says he can't get away from work and to call his new wife, she is listed on the children's' files. So Debbie calls the middle school and step-mom is able to pick up the child. But I guess Karen realized she had a missed call from the school, calls the school back and when she finds out the step-mom picked up the son flies off the handle and shows up at the school having a screaming tantrum." Seth chuckled.

"Wait a minute….Karen's child is sick but she is more concerned about having a tantrum at the child's school?" Trina asked.

"Yes, because from what I have been able to figure out. All this insanity is only partially that she is upset Kurt has remarried and is happy. The other part of it about her wanting to maintain control of everything." Jerry said.

"Baby I need to get to Parsons." Steve told his wife.

"Okay, I will see you later." She hugged him.

He smiled, hearing the baby's heartbeat had really touched her and she was glowing and happy.

"Newlyweds and pregnant….I am getting cavities here." Seth said.

"And getting carpel tunnel at home." She laughed.

1430 Hours

"Come on John, it isn't that bad." Trina giggled watching John pour some whiskey into his coffee.

"That crazy woman standing there screeching at Ms. Combs….I thought I would have to pepper spray her. And Principal Nowinski wants copies of all my reports; apparently he is taking legal action." John groaned.

"Why yell at the nurse? Not like it is her fault Kurt remarried a lady willing to step up as the step-mom, leave her own job and go take care of a sick child." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Karen was screaming that the nurse should've called more than once." John sighed.

"Where was Karen anyway that she didn't answer the phone?" she was curious.

"She said that she was at the hair salon. Who knows?"

Trina's phone rang. "Officer Conley-Borden."

"Trina, we got an ID on our male victim found yesterday. We got a hit on his fingerprints in the system." Steve said on the other end of the line.

"That was quick. Who was he?" she grabbed her notepad.

"His name was Rich Swann, 25 years old. He was from Maryland, in the system for some hellraising when he was younger. A couple of drug arrests but nothing in the past seven years." Steve said.

"Has family been notified?" Trina asked.

"I am about to do that. Both of his parents are deceased but his next of kin is listed as an aunt." Steve said.

"He was from out of state…wonder how he got here? Vacation maybe?" Trina asked.

"I will ask the aunt when I talk to her. In the meantime, I need your team to investigate his background see what you can find out online about him. Check any social media he may use and run his identity through the computer and see what you can find about his life." Steve told her.

"We are on it. Let me know what you find." Trina said and hung up.

"John, we got an ID hit on our male victim found yesterday. Rich Swann from Maryland. Steve is going to contact the next of kin. We need to start researching this guy." She said.

"At least we can give him back to some loved ones. Still no word on Falls Doe." John sighed.

1715 Hours

Trina hurried into the Parsons station, not even stopping to pay attention to Summer as she glared at her as she walked by. She found Steve in the back at his desk talking to the twins. She hurried over and hugged him, kissing his cheek.

"Hi, what brings you by?" Steve smiled.

She sat down on Jey's lap and handed Steve a folder. "Bringing by what John and I found on Rich Swann. And I wanted to let the twins hear the baby's heartbeat. And I get to annoy Summer too."

"That explains why I am suddenly Santa." Jey chuckled. "Although since you are pregnant by your husband, I am pretty sure she knows I am available."

"She don't know that. Pregnancy increases libido. Maybe I have turned total nympho and you are my side action." She winked.

"You are so crazy." Jey laughed.

"Here, squeeze his paw. You will get to hear the baby's heartbeat." She handed him the teddy bear she brought with her.

"Are you serious? How did you get this thing?" Jey asked as he pushed the paw.

"Dr. Morrissey does them for his expectant mothers." She said. "What did the aunt have to say?"

"She said she is not sure how long Rich had been missing. He had not been scheduled for vacation. She usually hears from him at least once a week, but said last week she didn't heard from him. I then called his job which said he never reported to work at all last week." Steve explained as the twins continued to play with the bear.

"Possible he had fallen back into his drug lifestyle?" Trina asked.

"The aunt insists no and from speaking with his boss they had not had any problems with him at work. Always on time, did his job, no signs of drug use." Steve said.

"Well we found nothing that would point to any problems in his life recently. His social media is normal. No mention of plans to travel or discussion of problems." Trina said. "I even pulled his banking records. Nothing unusual but last Sunday was the last time that he used his debit card."

"He is off the grid for a week and turns up brutally murdered in our county." Steve frowned.

"Maybe Dolph will get some answers from his research and further tests on Swann's body." She said.

"I hope so. I called Dolph about making arrangements with the aunt to have Swann's body sent to Maryland for burial." Steve said. "What are you two doing?" he looked at Jimmy and Jey who were playing the bear over the phone.

"Letting Naomi hear our goddaughter." Jimmy said.

"Seth thinks it's a boy. Garrett thinks it's a boy." Trina chuckled.

"We think it is a girl." Jimmy said.

"I hope it is a boy. We have a worse time trying to pick a name for a girl than a boy." Trina laughed. "I still am leaning towards Nathaniel or Nathan."

"I still vote no against Liam." Steve said.

"So how about you guys and Naomi come over for dinner? I'll put some steaks on the grill. I want Naomi to help me pick out a few things for the nursery we are starting to work on." Trina invited.

"Sounds great. But how can you do a nursery if you don't know what gender the baby is yet?" Jey asked.

"I am doing gender neutral. Maybe yellow and green." Trina said. "What did you do the boys' nurseries as?"

"Garrett had a circus animal theme. And Steven had Disney characters." Steve said.

"Sounds cute. I am sure we will figure something out. Okay, I need to head back to Davis and I will pick up some steaks on my way home." She stood up. "Can I have my bear back?"

"Oh sure, Naomi is all excited." Jimmy said.

"Yeah…me too." She smiled.

1845 Hours

Trina was in the backyard lighting the grill when Jack started barking and raised the fur on his back.

"Trina, it's us. Calm that coydog down." She heard Jey yell.

Trina grabbed his collar and patted his fur. "It's okay. Friendly visitors." She assured him as he calmed down.

Before she could say much more, Naomi came running around the back of the house and hugged Trina around the midsection.

"There is my baby girl." She kissed her tummy.

"What if it's a boy?" Trina laughed.

"That is baby girl Borden in there, trust me." Naomi stood up. "I picked you up a few maternity outfits at that new consignment shop in town."

"We have a new consignment shop?" Trina went back to lighting the grill as the men wandered into the backyard.

"Yeah, over in Parsons. Kim Anthony started one up with her divorce settlement. One of these high-end consignment shops. Only name brands in good condition." Naomi shrugged. "But since your size will be changing quickly, I figured you wouldn't mind a few used outfits."

"Oh that is fine. Steve says he can notice a baby bump so I might need them soon." She closed the grill.

"And I brought a few magazines for nursery ideas." Naomi said. "Speaking of kids, how are things going with Steven?"

Trina started up the steps back into the house with Naomi following her. "I'll bring you guys a few beers." She stepped in the house. "I don't know. Steve is making sure to call him a lot, and make sure he knows how much he still loves him. He wants to assure him that the baby isn't replacing him just the family is expanding and love grows, it is not a limited emotion."

"But?" Naomi asked.

"But he insists Steven is too old to have more kids. Steve offered to fly the boys out here for the baby's birth, wanting him to feel part of the family and bond with his new sibling. And while Garrett probably has already packed his suitcase, Steven said he would think about coming out. Poor Steve doesn't know what to do. He is thrilled about the new baby, wants to include his boys in everything, and be a family. But Steven is a challenge." Trina opened the fridge.

"He will come around. Maybe he just needs time." Naomi said.

"I hope so. After he came around and accepted us being together and even gave his blessing for the wedding. But now….I worry he might hurt his dad. Or that the baby will ruin their relationship." Trina said.

"Quit worrying. Let's focus on something fun. The nursery, I found some cute ideas." Naomi smiled.

"That sounds good; boys here are your beers." She tossed the six-pack to Steve who was on the porch with the guys. "What ideas do you have? Tell me while I season the steaks."

"I found a cute one with moon, starts, planets that kind of thing." Naomi smiled and grabbed one of magazines out of her bag. "There was a cute one with Panda bears too. Seems monkeys are really popular."

"Monkeys…that could be cute. I am thinking yellow….it is such a bright and happy color. Maybe something that could go well with yellow." She said.

"There is a cute one with music too and you are such a music fan, might be cute." Naomi said.

 _ **Author Notes-**_ _Thank you again for all the reviews and feedback. I read all of them and enjoy them. They help so much in the writing process. Batistasprincess (I think Seth and Trina are at a no secrets, let it all hang out type point in their friendship. So glad you are enjoying Seth.) nixystix (I woudn't mind Seth outside my doorstep, but instead of a newspaper, I want coffee. LOL) reikat (The dynamic with JBL and the 'kids' will come into play later.) Paisley2 (I like Kurt's ametuer career a lot actually. His coach was Dave Schultz whose murder is portrayed in 'Foxcatcher' and the 30 for 30 'Prince of Pennsylvania'. I never even thought of the death in last chapter as eat shit and die until you mentioned it. LOL) jcott3 (Inquiring minds will find out soon enough, interesting break coming. So glad you caught the connections around the Rock N Roll Express…although the incest comment made me laugh. The reason JBL would be opposed to Pitt is they are huge rivals of WVU. Back in the day they had the 'backyard brawl' on Thanksgiving day.) carlyrosanna83 (I am so glad you are enjoying the story.)_


	20. Newspaper Clue

September 26th, 0700 Hours

Steve walked into the bedroom from the bathroom to find Trina sitting on the bed crying. He frowned and walked over, sitting down beside her.

"What's wrong? You feel sick?" he asked.

"I can't get my pants on," she wiped her eyes.

Steve realized that at 15 weeks pregnant, her hormones were in full swing and her baby bump was definitely growing enough to be noticed. He wrapped his arm around her.

"We will get you some uniform pants in a different size. In the meantime, I am sure that the chief won't mind if you wear some other pants. Naomi got you some bigger pants, why don't you try some of them." He said.

"I know the baby has to grow but I am getting fat. No one is going to look at me the same." She cried.

"You are not getting fat. The baby is growing and you have a baby bump. The rest of you looks the same. I don't see you any differently, just pregnant." He rubbed her back.

"You have to say that, you're my husband." She fell back on the bed.

"Now come on, you know I wouldn't lie to you. I see you just the same. And it is pretty damn special to see you and know that is my baby there." Steve rubbed her baby bump.

"I used to be so cute." She wiped her eyes again.

"You are gorgeous. And being pregnant doesn't change that. Besides, isn't one thing you and Naomi are always carrying on about is that women of all shapes and sizes are pretty and you two are so anti- Hollywood- image- pretty." Steve reminded.

"I guess. I am just…I feel like I am losing it. I knew the baby would grow but now that it is…I just….argh." she groaned.

"You're just hormonal. This is perfectly normal." Steve smiled. "Go ahead and get dressed. I will fix breakfast."

"I am sorry for crying." She said.

"Don't be. This is gonna happen a lot." He shrugged and stood up.

Trina watched him walk out of the room. She felt like she was losing her mind. She knew the baby had to grow, but she didn't like the body changes that required. She got off the bed and trudged over to the closet.

Downstairs, Steve opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. He saw the cats roaming the back porch waiting on Trina to feed them. Before he could pour the juice, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Steve, its Naomi. I found a prenatal yoga class for Trina. They offer them at one of the gyms here in town." She said.

"She mentioned wanting to try one. Dr. Morrissey says they help with stretching, make labor easier and can help mood swings. I think she needs it. She couldn't get her regular pants around her baby bump anymore and it upset her." Steve said.

"I'll stop in and check on her later. Got a busy day. Bischoff wants to meet about decorating town square for Halloween." Naomi said.

"Of course, we have a major ongoing case but citizens are worried about if town square has enough pumpkins." Steve sighed.

"You are picking up your wife's sarcasm." Naomi laughed. "Tell Trina I called. I will stop in and see her later."

0830 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk sipping the tea Bray had given her. Seth walked in from patrol and sat down at his desk.

"You ready for the playoffs?" he smirked.

"I am fat and sick and the Cubs are in the playoffs with the best record in baseball due to buying every all-star they can get." She laid her head on the desk.

"What do you mean you're fat? You look cute as hell with that baby bump." Seth said.

She lifted her head and looked up at him. He smiled at her.

"You are pretty. And you know some guys have a pregnancy fetish?" Seth winked.

"They what?"

"It's true. I read about it last year when researching to go undercover." He said.

"Just what I need." She groaned. "But on a happy note….I found a new way to annoy you."

"Which is?"

"Dolly Parton's new 'Coat of Many Colors' movie, the Christmas one, is going to be broadcast November 30th." She smiled.

"Oh great, you crying like a fool. My mom crying like a fool. Is Naomi watching this thing?" Seth groaned.

"You never know. The last one was great and I am sure this one will be too. Dolly is going to appear in it herself." She giggled. "Any news on the case?"

"Nothing new. Dolph called and said his research shows that to make those burns and injuries found on Rich Swann, it would require several minutes of 2000 volts being applied." Seth handed her his notes.

"How does Joe Average on the street figure out how to do that?" She asked.

"Who knows? I am starting to wonder if these cases are related like we think." He frowned.

"Don't ask me. I don't know what to think anymore." She shook her head.

1200 Hours

Trina was sitting at her desk trying to decide what she wanted for lunch. Nothing sounded good to her. She looked over the menus from the local restaurants. When the door opened, she looked up and saw Robert Gibson carrying the mail.

"Hey Mr. Gibson, what brings you by?" she smiled at him.

"We're shorthanded today so I am helping out. The joys of a small town." He handed her the mail.

"How is your nephew? I know he was shook up when he found that body." Trina sifted through the mail.

"He is okay. He is still grounded, but he is coping. Rick has been spending a lot of time with him." Robert said.

"Glad to hear it." She smiled.

"I see your little one is growing. When are you due?" he asked.

"March 26th." She said.

"You must be so excited. Well, I have to get going. Several more stops to go." He waved.

"See you tomorrow." She waved and went back to sorting the mail.

She found an envelope addressed to the department but had no return address. She noticed it was postmarked in Parsons but addressed to the Davis police. She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a newspaper article Mr. Heenan had ran in the Davis newspaper about Falls Doe. It included a print of the sketch Kofi Kingston had created for them. Across the picture of the girl was written 'Paige'.

"Chief, come here. Something weird in the mail." Trina yelled.

Jerry walked out of his office. "What is going on?"

"Put on some gloves. I just found this in the mail. Mr. Gibson just dropped it off." She held the newspaper out for him to see.

"Any note or anything with it?" he frowned.

"No, just this was in the envelope. It was in a plain envelope addressed to the department and postmarked in Parsons." She said.

"Possibly someone knows her and wanted her identified anonymously?" he offered.

"I think anything is possible at this point." She sighed.

"Okay, call Dolph and your husband. Get them over here. I want you to begin looking through the missing person's database for anyone named Paige." He told her.

1330 Hours

"Any hits in the database yet?" Steve asked his wife.

"Nothing yet but still looking." She answered.

"I will need to take the envelope and newspaper back to my lab and work on it. But I can't understand why two people have sent us anonymous information about our victims." Dolph frowned.

"The last letter said that the person was afraid of someone." Trina offered.

"What about an illegal fight ring? You know those underground MMA fights where it's no holds barred and anything goes. Ran into one of those when I was working in LA." Steve offered.

"Did they let them fight with weapons? Our victims all have injuries from weapons." Dolph frowned. "Our victims are more like torture victims than fights gone too far."

"Maybe it is a more extreme type of fighting?" Steve pondered. "I am just trying to throw out ideas. We are getting nowhere but more mysteries."

John walked in from patrol carrying his lunch. Trina immediately perked up and looked at him.

"What is that? It smells great." She asked.

"Just a club sandwich." John looked confused.

"That sounds really good. Steve will you get me one?" she looked at him.

Dolph chuckled. "Pregnancy cravings. You should feel the baby move soon."

"I will pick you up lunch." Steve smiled.

"I'd offer you half of mine but I got banana peppers on it." John said.

"Its fine, I feel hungry and finally something seems appetizing to me." She smiled.

"Oh you will go through that." Dolph assured her. "Looking closer at this newspaper article, this is one that Mr. Heenan published two weeks ago."

"We have asked him to run the picture and ask for information once a week until we get information." Steve asked. "He agreed."

"He's got a daughter himself, so he is very sensitive when we have a case about females." John said.

"Seems like everyone in the county is getting extra protective of their daughters." Dolph sighed.

"They should look out for their sons just as much. We have two male victims this time." Trina sighed.

1745 Hours

Seth walked in yawning and went to grab the coffee. Trina was still typing at her desk and John was doing paperwork.

"Busy day?" he asked.

"You have no idea." John said. "Someone mailed us a copy of the newspaper article about Falls Doe from two weeks ago. It had a name written across it. Trina has been working on it all day."

"I gotta start working dayshift. I miss all the exciting stuff." Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Like hell. How many times have you called me at home to come help with something because it broke during nightshift?" Trina said.

"And it was nightshift when Trina helped you at Almost Heaven and ended up finding out she was pregnant." John said.

"Still, it gets quite boring sitting here watching TV so much." Seth sat down.

"Fine, you take dayshift and take all Karen Angle's crazy antic calls." John said.

"She been into something today?" Seth sipped his coffee.

"I got called to Kurt's home today. Kurt and his wife have the children this week. The daughter is sick now, having caught whatever the boy had a few weeks ago. So they keep her home from school and step-mom volunteers to stay home and care for her. Well, the school called Karen first looking for the child…then called Mrs. Angle. Karen shows up at Kurt's house demanding that she be allowed to take the child and care for her herself. Mrs. Angle calls Kurt to see what he advises and Kurt says no, it is his time with the children whether they are sick or not. When she tells Karen this, Karen goes on a rampage. Mrs. Angle decides to just shut the door and figures Karen will go away…wrong. Karen begins incessantly ringing the doorbell, pounding on the door and when that didn't work….knocking on the windows. Mrs. Angle finally called me." John groaned.

"Shouldn't Karen be thanking her lucky stars that Kurt's new wife is willing to take care of the kids so well? I mean, she is really stepping up. Missing work and everything to help care for them while they are sick." Seth sighed.

"That is what I told her. I outright told her she is very blessed that her kids got such a nice step-mom. She didn't like hearing that. Karen claims this is all a big show so Kurt will get her pregnant." John rolled his eyes. "I think it is safe to say that Karen is completely irrational."

"I found her." Trina called out.

"Huh?" Seth looked over.

"Falls Doe, I just got a hit from Interpol. Her name is Paige Bevis...but….she is missing out of Canada." She frowned.

"Maybe she was here vacationing like that girl Calaway killed." Seth said.

"I don't know. According to this information….Paige Bevis is from England, attending college in Canada at the University of Ottawa. Paige's family in England became concerned after they had not heard from Paige in a week. University authorities went into Paige's room at the urging of her family after several calls. Nothing in the room was out of place, no signs of a struggle." Trina read off her laptop.

"If she had planned a vacation, wouldn't her family have known about it?" Seth asked.

"Most likely. Which makes it even stranger that she would end up down here." John said.

"The Ottawa police working with university authorities have interviewed her friends who said Paige showed no unusual behaviors and was enjoying her classes. Her bank account, online accounts and passport have not been used since she came up missing." Trina looked up. "If her passport wasn't used, she was smuggled into the United States."

"One more piece of the puzzle, but it doesn't make sense." John sighed.

"So we have a girl comes up missing in Canada, smuggled into the US, brutally murdered and discarded and we find her during a flood in middle of nowhere West Virginia?" Seth frowned.

"I'll call Steve. This crazy case is making me feel like I am in a bad movie." Trina picked up her phone.

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Once again want to thank everyone for the feedback. I always enjoy reading all the feedback and it truly helps with the writing process. Batistasprincess (Oh I have plans for that. Don't worry.) nixystix (I don't know of anyone that would mind Seth showing up in the morning. LOL) jcott3 (I love that you always catch my cameos. Seriously, every time I write one, I wonder if you'll catch it and you never fail. And luckily I live near a crazy woman that gives me plenty of Karen Angle inspiration.) carlyrosanna83 (You can rest easy that nothing is getting Steve away from that baby.) reikat (Seth is always adorable, I don't care what my co-worker says, LOL. A few big things coming that will progress to the making sense. I developed this one to truly be a difficult and unusual case. So glad you enjoyed the show. I promised my godsons I would take them next time WWE is close. Should be fun considering the 5 year old rolls on the floor laughing hysterically every time he hears 'sparkle crotch'. LOL)_


	21. Close to Home

**Warning-** Chapter is rated R. Use caution when reading.

October 3rd, 0800 Hours

Steve walked Trina into the station at Davis. She had been a little queasy when she woke up so he wanted to be sure she was feeling okay before he went on to Parsons.

"Mama and Papa Borden! How is Little Seth?" Seth chuckled as they walked in.

"From what I read last night, they are now the size of an avocado." Trina sat down.

"And how was your day off?" Seth smiled. "Ready for the play-offs?"

"I hope the Cubs are eliminated early so you shut up. At least the chief is happy about the Indians. And my day off was good. I canned some stuff out of the garden. Watched some horror movie that scared me, and ordered some Halloween decorations online." Trina said.

"Oh yeah, we got the big Harvest Festival coming up this month." Seth agreed.

"You feel okay? I know you were a little sick this morning." Steve checked on her.

"I am fine. Just make sure you remember I want Chinese food for lunch. No seafood, Dr. Morrissey said to avoid it." Trina said.

"I'll remember. See you at noon." He kissed her. "Love you."

"Love you too." She smiled.

"Seth, don't annoy her." Steve chuckled as he walked out.

"How goes things with your step-sons?" Seth asked as Trina looked through the overnight paperwork.

"Garrett is great. And he is ecstatic. He wants constant updates of what is going on with the baby. Steven is still kind of cold about the whole thing. It is hurting Steve more than he lets on." She frowned.

"He'll come around. Maybe once the baby is born he will bond more with it." Seth suggested.

"I hope so. I have been doing some reading online and found a few cases where adult children never did accept their much younger sibling. I read one case where a father had remarried and had a new baby, and his adult daughter never did accept her even as the child grew." She sighed.

Jerry walked out of his office. "Seth before you go home for the day, I need you to go out to Rick Martel's place and do a welfare check."

"Oh I'll go. Seth needs to get some sleep. I can handle a welfare check." Trina said.

Jerry frowned. "We don't know what you are walking into. I think Seth should take it."

"Why a welfare check on Rick and Johanne?" Seth asked.

"Coralie just called from out of state. She hasn't been able to get her parents on any of their phones since Friday." Jerry said.

"I'll go. They probably just went out of town without telling her or something simple. You know Rick and Johanne are the sweetest people. What trouble could they be in? Rick was my French teacher in high school." Trina stood up.

Jerry sighed but decided not to fight with her. "Okay you go, but take Seth with you. Anything dangerous, you let Seth handle it. I mean it Trinvilla."

"Okay, okay." Trina agreed. "And don't call me that."

Seth and Trina walked out of the station and climbed in the SUV. Seth pulled out onto the road and headed towards the Martel home.

"I never knew you took French in high school." Seth said.

"I was lousy at it and dropped it after one semester. But Mr. Martel was a great teacher. He was always sponsoring stuff for kids. He even joined the teacher team one year for the donkey basketball game." She chuckled.

"I hope this is a quick call. I am tired as hell." Seth said.

"I am sure that everything is fine. The Martel's are probably enjoying their retirement and just went somewhere." She smiled.

0845 Hours

Seth pulled up the driveway in front of the Martel home and cut the engine. Both officers stepped out of the vehicle and walked up to the house, noting that everything looked in order. Seth stopped to peek in the garage.

"Car is here." Seth said.

"Maybe they went somewhere with someone?" Trina offered.

They stepped up onto the porch and Seth rang the doorbell. "Mr. Martel, Mrs. Martel? Davis police, we need you to come to the door."

Trina looked down on the porch and noticed dark spots. She knelt down for a closer look.

"Seth, look at this." She tapped his leg.

Seth looked down and saw the dark spots. His blood immediately ran cold. "I think that is blood."

"Could be paint." She stood up.

He grabbed her shoulders. "No one has answered the door and we have possible blood on the porch, listen to me closely. I am going to see if I can find a way in. You go back to the SUV, lock the doors and call for back up."

"I'm your back up." She said.

"This could be dangerous, you heard the chief. Call for John and the chief and stay put." Seth told her.

Trina nodded and hurried off the porch. She ran back to the SUV and climbed inside, locking all the doors. She grabbed the radio.

"Officer Conley to dispatch. Requesting backup at the Martel residence off route 93. 10-42." She said.

"10-40 Conley, back-up is being dispatched." Came back over the radio.

On the porch, Seth drew his weapon stood on his toes to look in the window at the top of the door. He saw the living room and everything looked in order. He tried the doorknob and was surprised to find it unlocked.

"Davis Police! If anyone is here I need you to show yourself!" Seth called out.

The house was quiet. He moved further into the house. "Rick? Johanne?"

He looked into the kitchen and found nothing out of place. He started down the hallway. The bathroom door was open and Seth flicked on a light. He shuddered when he saw blood on the bathroom sink. He slowly backed out and continued down the hall. He saw the door at the end of the hall was ajar. He slowly approached the door and gently pushed it open.

"Oh fuck!" Seth whispered.

Outside, Trina was getting tired of waiting and was wondering what was taking Seth so long. She finally got out of the SUV and drew her weapon. She approached the house and found the front door still open.

"Seth?" she called out.

"Trina, stay out there!" he called back.

Ignoring him, she slowly walked into the house. She could hear him walking in the back of the house so she headed that way. Seth came out of the hallway.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Come on, I need you to go outside and wait for the others." Seth wrapped an arm around her.

"Why? What is going on?" Trina asked. "Did you find them?"

"I need you to go outside and stay calm as possible." Seth tried to nudge her towards the door.

"Tell me what is going on!" she insisted. Seth hesitated and she saw it. "Oh my god, something's wrong. They're dead aren't they?"

Seth nodded. She started to pull away from him and go see for herself but Seth grabbed her. "No, you need to wait for the others. And you need to really calm down and prepare yourself before going back there. It is a messy death scene, definitely not natural causes."

"It can't be. Who would hurt them? They have lived here for years!" her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry. I know you cared about them." He hugged her.

"Are you sure they are dead? Did you check them?" she cried.

"I did, there is nothing can be done." He rubbed her back. "Come on, let's go wait for the others. I will call for Steve and Dolph." He turned her towards the door.

0920 Hours

Steve and Dolph pulled up outside the Martel house, finding Seth sitting with Trina in the back of the open SUV, near the equipment. John was marking off the yard with crime scene tape. Steve immediately climbed out of his truck and walked up to the back of the SUV.

"How are you doing?" Steve took his wife's hand.

"She is doing okay. I have kept her as calm as possible, made her sit down and drink some water." Seth said.

"Good, that's good. Thank you." Steve told him.

"Gotta take care of Little Seth." Seth shrugged, though he was still shaken from the crime scene he had seen.

"Keep being all heroic and protective and we might name him that." Steve winked. He looked at his wife again. "Trina? You okay?"

"I just keep thinking of Mr. Martel at school. He was so nice. Him and Mr. Santana, our Spanish teacher, were always competing against each other. Every year at Christmas, our school would raise money for the children's hospital. Mr. Martel and Mr. Santana would always compete to see whose homeroom would raise the most. They would go all out, selling snacks in their room to eat during class, holding student vs teacher competitions to raise money. It was always so much fun. My junior and senior years I was in Mr. Santana's homeroom." Trina said.

"You have a lot of wonderful memories of Mr. Martel. Hang on to them, he would want you to remember all the good times he gave his students." Steve told her.

"I guess we should get in there." Trina said.

"Are you sure you should do this? It is gonna stress you out." Seth asked.

"I have to do this. I owe him this. I owe my community to find out what happened. Besides, I want to do this for Rick and Johanne. It is the last thing I can do for them." Trina said.

Steve hugged her. "Okay, you can go in and help with photos and evidence. But if I see you getting too upset, I am having John or Seth take you out of there."

She nodded against his chest.

"Are you sure?" Seth whispered.

"She needs to do this. It is part of her grief process and will help her in the long run." Steve assured him. He pulled back and lifted Trina's face. "Get your bag and camera and come on."

She nodded and began gathering her things. Dolph joined them carrying his equipment. The four of them began walking into the house. Seth had informed the others that the crime scene was brutal and there was a lot of blood and gore.

Once inside the living room, Dolph stopped them all and handed them paper shoes to slip over their normal shoes. Everyone gloved up and it was then everyone noticed how cold the house was.

"Why is the house so cold? Was it this cold when we were here earlier?" Trina asked.

"It had to be, none of us has bothered the air conditioning." Seth said. "Must have been too distracted to notice."

"Someone must have wanted to mess with the time of death. Keep the bodies as cool as possible." Steve said. "I will have John check on the rest of the house."

They gathered their equipment again as they headed towards the master bedroom in the back of the house. Steve kept a close eye on his wife as they walked, watching for signs of extra distress. As the entered the master bedroom, all four of them stopped in horror at what they were seeing.

Blood covered the bed, carpet and walls; both bodies were covered in blood lying naked and tied to the bed by their hands and ankles. Steve closed his eyes, knowing he had to deal with this scene. Seth shuddered, seeing this mess for the second time. Trina covered her mouth in disgust but steeled her nerves. Dolph sighed and sat down his equipment.

"Okay, I need pictures of everything from every angle. Be careful to not interfere with the blood spatter patterns. Look for any evidence, nothing is too small. I am going to begin a field exam here. I have never seen such a bloody mess." Dolph sighed.

Trina unloaded her camera and powered it on. Steve and Seth both took flashlights and began carefully looking around the room. They could hear John searching the rest of the house. Trina stood up and began taking pictures of the bloody scene.

"Both bodies still in full rigor mortis." Dolph made notes in his tape recorder. "Field exam shows Johanne Martel tied to the bed by ankles and wrists. Wrists show signs of a struggle, she has deep wounds on both wrists from the rope. Appears her hair has been cut at the scene, it is still scattered around the bed. Right breast has been mutilated, and the nipple is missing."

Trina looked closer at Rick's face. The mouth was taped shut and his ear had been nearly cut off. She turned away a moment and took a few deep breaths.

"Morning sickness?" Seth asked.

"Greif, but I am okay. I am gonna do this no matter how long it takes." She gritted out.

Steve nodded and carefully knelt to look under the bed.

"Sexual assault with a foreign object seems likely, something is still lodged in her vagina, closer inspection at the morgue." Dolph continued. "No COD determined at this time."

Steve stood up. "Found this under the bed. It has some blood on it."

"What is that? Looks like some kind of cord." Seth asked.

"Bag it. Could be evidence. We will speak with their daughter and see if it belongs to them." Trina said.

"Rick Martel is also tied to the bed by ankles and wrists. His mouth is duck taped shut. Laceration to the ear, nearly cut off the head. Large laceration on his abdomen, a portion of skin approximately five inches by three inches has been cut away from the body. Also appears to have a laceration to the right leg, most likely to cut the Achilles tendon." Dolph said.

John walked in and took a deep breath to steady himself. "AC is turned down as low as it will go. I found some signs of forced entry on the door to the garage. Looks like it was pried open."

"Good job. Check the rest of the house a second time." Steve told him.

"I want every bit of this rope bagged as evidence. Sheets and bedclothes bagged. Seth said there was blood in the bathroom. Trina, take photos and then take samples. You have been trained how and I trust you." Dolph instructed.

"And the blood on the front porch." Steve told her.

"And let's try to keep the local media out of this as long as possible. This could be related to our ongoing case and we do not need panic." Steve told them.

1130 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station and looked around at the team. Jerry was in his office on the phone. Seth was digging through paperwork on his desk and John was grabbing more coffee. He frowned when he didn't see Trina anywhere. Seth looked up and noticed Steve standing there.

"Oh hey Steve, how goes things in Parsons?" Seth asked.

"The sheriff is putting off speaking with the mayor and the media until we have the results of the autopsy. Dolph is back at the morgue working on everything." Steve explained. "Where is my wife and baby?"

"She is taking a nap. She was a little drained after such a crazy morning, so I told her to go nap in the break room." Seth told him.

"Good, she needed some rest." Steve agreed.

"You look tired yourself. Maybe you should sit down for a few minutes." Seth said.

"I just know this is going to be such a crazy case. With the Martel's being local people and well-loved in the community, it is going to have everyone stirred up." Steve sighed.

"Jerry is speaking to their daughter now." Seth said.

"I still can't believe what I saw out there today." John sat down.

"Very rough scene, I agree. I have only seen one other that would compare and that was a guy that went on a rampage killing his entire family before turning the gun on himself." Steve said.

"You know, before that Calaway case last year, this was a safe place. Few burglaries, crap with the tourists. Now it is like every time we turn around something crazy is happening." John said.

"Not just here, everywhere." Seth sighed.

"John! Seth!" they heard Trina calling out for them. "I need a bucket."

"I got it. She is probably having some morning sickness. Still coming and going despite being in the second trimester." Steve said.

Steve grabbed one of the garbage cans and walked into the break room. Trina was sitting up, looking green. He set the can on the floor in front of her and barely moved before she began vomiting. He sat down beside her and pulled her hair back away from her face.

"I'm right here, you're okay." He soothed.

"Did your first wife go through this?" she muttered between gags.

"Not as much. Every woman and every pregnancy is different, you heard Dr. Morrissey." He rubbed her back.

She gagged a few more times and then fell back against the couch. He got up and handed her a few napkins and a bottle of water.

"You okay now?" he sat back down.

She nodded. "I think so. I hate morning sickness."

"I know you do. But you are doing great. I am very proud of you." He hugged her.

"Thanks, it means a lot to me that you are going through this with me." She snuggled against him.

"Hey, I love taking care of my wife and little one." He kissed her forehead.

"Thank you for letting me work the murder scene today. It was hard, but my town needs me…and I wanted to do something for Mr. Martel." She said.

"I know. That is why I let you." He rubbed her arm.

"I don't mean to interrupt." Seth walked in. "Dolph just called, said he found some interesting things already in the autopsy."

1330 Hours

Steve and Trina walked into the morgue, finding Dolph carefully suturing the chest of Rick Martel following cutting it open for autopsy purposes.

"Dolph, you have something for us?" Steve asked.

Dolph looked up at them, his eyes were tired and his face sad. "I think their murders are linked to our ongoing case. Similar MO."

"That can't be. They are local; the others were from out of town. They were killed in their home; the others had been missing from their homes." Trina protested.

"Their murders show signs of restraint and extended torture." Dolph countered.

"What have you found so far?" Steve asked him.

"Where to start is the better question? I am willing to bet whoever committed the murder, purposely forced Rick and Johanne to watch each other be tortured." Dolph said.

"It could've been just killing them at the same time." Steve said.

"I don't think so. I noticed at the scene that I couldn't close Rick's eyes. Once I got him here I found out why….his eyes have been superglued open." Dolph explained.

"How is that possible?" Steve asked.

"Someone used strong superglue. And I am willing to bet that scared Johanne enough to keep her eyes open without being forced." Dolph said.

"Have you been able to determine a time of death?" Trina asked.

"Not conclusively, but based on the temperature of the house combined with the rigor….I would say they were murdered early Saturday morning. Still have not been able to conclusively tell exactly what killed them yet but I still have a lot of work to do on both victims." Dolph said.

"What else can you tell us?" Trina asked.

"Brace yourselves, this was a brutal and heartless murder. I found Johanne's nipple inside Rick's mouth. Someone cut off her nipple, forced it into her husband's mouth and taped his mouth shut." Dolph frowned.

"That is sick." Steve winced.

"It gets worse. That chunk of flesh that was cut out of Rick's abdomen….I found it stuffed inside Johanne's vagina." Dolph sighed. "The foreign object we observed sticking out of her vagina turned out to be a carving fork…..typical in any kitchen. Examination shows that there are puncture marks on chunk of flesh that indicates that the carving fork was used to shove the flesh inside Johanne."

"This is worse than something in a movie. Not even those Eli Roth movies are this horrendous." Trina said.

"One more strange thing I have found. When I cleaned up Rick's body, I found burn marks on his testicles." Dolph pulled back the sheet. "Two burns, a few inches apart. My guess is from a Taser."

"That is sick, this whole thing is sick. This can't be real." Trina shook her head.

"I wish it weren't. You know it is one thing when I have victims in here that I don't know and learn who they are later. But we all knew Rick and Johanne….I am having a tough time with this myself." Dolph said as he covered the body again.

"I know. Rick was always doing things with the French club kids at the high school and Johanne helped with a lot of events too." Trina said. "We just have to figure out what happened. We can't let this go unpunished. Whoever this is, they have just made these murders very personal."

"I have a lot more work to do today on these two. I will let you know what else I find. I am sending the blood samples collected from the crime scene to Charleston for analysis." Dolph said. "I still have the rope to look at too."

"No rush, we want everything done right. I will speak to the sheriff and probably deal with Bischoff" Steve said.

Dolph nodded and looked at Trina. "How are you holding up?"

"I am okay." She said.

"Do I need to check your blood pressure?" Dolph asked.

"No I am okay. No dizziness, no black spots in my vision." Trina assured him.

"Okay but if you start feeling dizzy, you immediately go home and relax." Dolph told her. "Call me if you feel strange. I am still a doctor you know."

"I know." She hugged him. "Thank you. Take good care of Johanne and Rick."

"I will." Dolph assured her.

Steve and Trina turned and walked out of the morgue. As they walked down the hall, they were quiet; both were lost in their own thoughts.

"This is going to cause a lot of hurt and a lot of panic around here." Trina said as they stepped out into the parking lot.

"I know. And Bischoff is going to be driving us all insane." Steve sighed. "Forget that for now. How are you? I know you want to work this case, but I am worried about the stress level."

"No, I am okay. I feel better working right now. I feel like I am doing what I need to." She said.

"Okay, but tonight you are relaxing with a bubble bath and me you and the baby are watching a movie." Steve kissed her forehead.

"Sounds wonderful." She agreed.

1800 Hours

Trina was looking through all the crime scene photos she had taken earlier, looking for anything she had missed. John was busy with the paperwork and Jerry was speaking with the local newspaper, talking to Mr. Heenan about the best way to report the double murder.

Seth walked in yawning but ready for the nightshift.

"Did you get enough rest? Maybe one of us can cover a few hours for you tonight." Trina said.

"Nah, I am good. I am used to a lack of sleep. Besides, you are taking Little Seth home to get some rest." Seth smiled. "How is my little buddy?" he patted her tummy.

"Just fine. Although I wish they would move. Everyone keeps saying I should be able to feel it soon. I wish it would hurry up. It would be a bright spot in this whole mess." She smiled.

"I am sure that Mr. Martel would be happy to know how hard you are working for him." Seth assured her.

"That cord that was found at the crime scene has been nagging me. It is a USB cord, could be used for a dozen different things by anybody in these modern times. Also, they can be purchased anywhere. But looking through the crime scene photos, I don't see a thing in that bedroom that cord would've belonged to. No cameras, no computers, and the TV and DVD player seemed to be hooked up and no extra cords lying around." She said.

"Something the killer dropped?" Seth went to the coffee pot.

"Maybe, I mean it is possible it accidentally fell out of their pocket. But it still seems so strange and out of place." Trina frowned.

Steve walked in carrying several folders. "Dolph dropped these off. He has been working on the autopsies all afternoon."

"What did he find?" Trina grabbed the folders.

"Rick died from a crushed larynx. Dolph said something appears to have crushed his larynx but he cannot determine what. Johanne died of some kind of suffocation as well. Dolph said her lung and eyes showed signs of suffocation. But her nose was not broken and she had no ligature marks on her neck." Steve explained.

"So we have a killer, probably more than one. Rick was in good shape, and would've been able to put up a good fight. So our killers break into their home, tie them naked to their bed, torture them, force them to watch each other being tortured and then kills them both….all without cause." Trina frowned.

"Jerry and I have both spoken to their daughter; she said her parents had no enemies, no problems and a very happy marriage." John said.

"Damien called me, he wanted updates on everything we have. He is very upset, he was a former student of Martel's as well." Steve said.

"What does the Sheriff have to say?" Seth asked.

"He has spent the day going over everything we have on all our open cases with me and the twins. We can't find anything we have missed, but with this being a murder of our own people right here in the county….we are out of options. Something has to give." Steve said.

"But what haven't we tried?" Seth asked.

"I don't know. I have a meeting in the morning with the sheriff about our options. We might need to contact an expert; we just don't know what kind of expert." Steve sighed.

"Nothing more can be done tonight. Why don't you go on home? Feed my little Cubs fan." Seth said.

"Nathaniel is not going to be a Cubs fan." Trina said.

"I never gave the green light on the name Nathaniel." Steve said.

"Come on, it is great. We can shorten it to Nathan or Nate." Trina said as she stood up.

"This kid is going to be Baby Boy Borden until he is forty." Seth chuckled.

"Go on home guys, we'll see you in the morning." John said.

"We still have to talk girl names. You know the twins and Naomi are convinced that the baby is a girl." Trina said as she followed Steve out.

1930 Hours

Trina walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom where Steve was sitting on the bed reading. She walked over to the dresser and pulled a nightgown. She dropped her towel and pulled the nightgown over her head. She smoothed it out and looked in the mirror.

"Am I still cute?" she rubbed a hand over her growing baby.

"No baby, you are beautiful. Quit worrying." He smiled.

"But I don't look the same." Trina frowned.

"It has not changed how attractive you are." He smirked. "You didn't notice me sneaking peeks at you as you got dressed a few minutes ago?"

"You did not!" she giggled.

"Of course I did. A beautiful woman was naked, you think I am not gonna look?"

She laughed. "You always know how to make me smile."

"Did you pick a movie yet?" Steve set his book aside.

"It is October so I thought a horror movie might be fun. You know a few of those channels are about to start horror movie marathons." She said.

"Those movies are so ridiculous. There are like what….20 of those Jason movies now?" Steve sighed.

"I don't know, but I didn't want to watch Jason. I was thinking some of the newer scarier movies. How about 'The Conjuring'?" Trina asked.

"Okay, just for you." He relented. "And to be fair that was a pretty good movie, even if it's not my style."

"Oh good, I already brought it upstairs." She chuckled and grabbed the DVD off the dresser.

"I wondered why that movie was up here." He chuckled as she put the DVD in and climbed on the bed next to him.

"I figured you wouldn't mind." She snuggled against him.

"Did you enjoy your bath?" he asked.

"Yes, those bath bomb things I found online are amazing. Remind me to order some more of those things." Trina said.

"You smell great. How did you find that company anyway?" he wrapped his arms around her.

"Naomi ordered me some of their stuff for my wedding shower. And knowing my animal stance…she found Lush. They don't test on animals or buy ingredients from companies that test on animals or use slave labor in other countries." Trina explained.

"The things you two girls get into." He chuckled.

She snuggled against him as the movie began. "You know this opening clip about Annabelle is scarier than the actual Annabelle movie."

"I'll take your word for it." He said.

Trina curled around him as they watched the movie continue. Wonder jumped up on the edge of bed and settled down while Jack slept on the floor. Just as Perrone's found their dog had died, the phone rang at the Borden house.

"I better get that, it is the sheriff." Steve said as he reached for the phone. "Borden…..now?... Sheriff, can't this wait until the morning?...I don't want to leave Trina by herself considering the most recent murders were in the county…..yes, of course. I will be right there."

"What's going on?" she asked as Steve hung up the phone.

"Bischoff is demanding a meeting tonight with the sheriff, chief and myself." Steve stood up.

"Like waiting until morning would hinder whatever his point is?" she was confused.

"Apparently he wants to be updated on everything so he knows how to best handle the concerns of citizens and wants to see what he can do to assist us." Steve rolled his eyes. "Election year."

"Well I will be okay until you get home." She assured him.

"I don't like leaving you alone at night after what we saw today." Steve sighed.

"We can't quit working just because things get rough."

"I know, but doesn't make it any easier." He said as he pulled on some clothes. "Until I get home, you keep the house locked up. Keep your service weapon near you."

"Relax, I will be fine. I got my gun; I'll keep the house locked. And would you want to be the idiot that tried getting between Jack and this baby? I am starting to think Jack thinks the baby is his the way he is so protective." She laughed.

"You two just stay safe and I will be home in a few hours." He kissed her. "Jack, you're man of the house while I am out."

"We will be fine. Careful driving. Watch for deer." She smiled. "Love you."

"Love you too." He said as he walked out, Jack immediately jumping up on the bed beside her.

"I would fuss at you but he told you that you were man of the house." She told the coydog.

 _ **Author's Notes**_ _\- Thank you for all the feedback. As you can see things just hit close to home and everything is about to get even crazier. Nixystix (I am so upset Seth is injured. I told a guy at work that I was in mourning, LOL. And I am sure John might need therapy before this story is over, LOL.) batistasprincess (You are right, she looks great but body changes are never easy. One of my friends is going through it now.) reikat (I think everyone loves Seth, he is a doll. And I loved Seth's hair back in the Shield days. I wish he would wear it like that again.) jcott3 (Oh I do remember that TNA match, it was corny as can be. Do you remember the 'chamber of horrors match' at Halloween Havoc 1991? I still watch it for good laughs.) carlyrosanna83 (Interesting theory. I love reading theories of the readers and see who gets closest.)_


	22. Funeral

October 7th, 1030 Hours

The Davis officers arrived at the high school for the joint funeral of Johanne and Rick Martel. They were dressed in their dress uniforms, except for Trina who didn't fit into hers due to her pregnancy. She was dressed in a black maternity dress that she had bought at the consignment shop Naomi told her about. The parking lot was crowded; it seemed the entire county had come out to pay respects to the couple.

"Trina, there is Steve and the Parsons department." Seth pointed out as they climbed out of the SUV.

She nodded and walked towards her husband. She noticed Naomi standing with Jimmy and Jey.

"Hey, how are my girls?" Naomi hugged her.

"I am dreading this." Trina admitted.

"You can do this." Naomi gripped her hand.

"Just warning you, Bischoff is here." Steve whispered to her as they began walking towards the entrance.

"Oh just what we need. Between some citizens starting to go vigilante and Bischoff playing politics that 'he is working with the police to make sure the community is safe and these crimes are solved quickly'…. Oh let's just get this over with." Trina leaned against her husband.

As they stepped inside the lobby of the school, they could see a huge crowd of people…students, community members, school staff. Trina spotted some of her old teachers including Mr. Santana.

"Mr. Santana, glad to see you. Wish it were under better circumstances." She greeted him.

"Trina Conley…oh you are married now. I read about it in the newspaper earlier this year." He hugged her. "Glad to see you are doing so well."

"Thank you. This is my husband, Steve Borden. He is the county detective." She introduced them.

"I have heard a lot of good things about you. Nice to meet you." Tito shook his hand.

"Trina has been telling me a lot of high school stories that include you." Steve said.

"Oh she was quite the pistol in high school. She nearly started a riot over dissection." Santana chuckled. "She made such a big deal about it they finally let her do an alternative assignment."

"That doesn't surprise me." Steve laughed. "You should see the menagerie of animals we have."

"We better get inside. It was nice seeing you." Trina said.

Trina stayed between Steve and Naomi as they walked inside the gymnasium. They could see the two coffins surrounded by flowers sitting at one end. The bleachers had all been pulled out and there were rows of folding chairs set up as well.

"Let's find a place to sit." Steve nudged her arm, wanting to get this over with.

1230 Hours

Steve walked his wife into the Davis station following the funeral services for the Martel's. The rest of the Davis team walked in with them. Trina had been upset at the service as had most of the county. Steve made sure she was seated at her desk then went to the break room to get her some water to drink.

"I felt so bad for Coralie. She was so tore up. Losing both her parents in such a horrible fashion." Trina sighed.

"You okay? You seemed pretty shook up." Seth asked.

"Oh I am fine. It is just on top of the grief of losing a beloved community member, I have these hormones to deal with." She said.

"You will have that." Jerry said.

"Where are we with the media? Mr. Heenan has been very helpful about not police bashing in his newspaper, but a few others haven't been so nice." Trina said.

"Don't worry about media. We just do our jobs and let the media say what they want." Steve handed her a bottle of water.

"Steve is right. If we worry about the media, it will just add problems we don't need. If Bischoff wants to play politics and public relations, let him." Jerry said.

"Well I don't know if now if a good time to mention it. But I got some results back from Charleston early this morning before the funeral." Dolph said.

"Anything helpful?" John asked.

"The blood found on the porch belonged to Johanne. The killer must've had some on them that dripped as they left. The blood in the sink was a mix of Johanne's and Rick's…killer must've washed up. And the blood on the USB cord was Rick's." Dolph said.

"So we didn't get any from an unknown which means the killer's must not have bled at the scene." Steve frowned.

"And I have been going over the rope….it is consistent with what we have found on Carmella." Dolph said.

"Well I was scheduled to fly to New Orleans for a conference next week but I tried to get out of it. I don't want to leave Trina home alone with this suddenly so close. But Bischoff wouldn't hear of it. The sheriff even offered to go in my place, knowing Trina is pregnant but you know our mayor…'you are our detective and you are going. I need to be able to assure the public that the detective we hired for this county is doing everything to protect the citizens while they rest assure the sheriff is here to handle business'." Steve rolled his eyes.

"Baby it is fine. I will be fine. I got guns, I got Jack and I got pregnancy hormones." She assured him.

"So this pregnancy hormones thing makes you cry all the time?" Seth asked.

"Well I seem to cry more easily. And it also has my libido everywhere." Trina shrugged. "Steve likes that."

"Trinvilla!" Steve said.

"Don't worry Steve, if someone breaks in on her she will either cry on them or rape them, depending on how her hormones are going that day." Seth winked.

"Oh brother!" Trina laid down her head on her desk.

"Can we be serious?" Jerry said.

"Come on chief. We needed a light moment. It has been a rough week and humor is good relief." Trina lifted her head.

"Oh let the kids be. If they are being goofy it is a sign things are getting back to normal. Now we get a call about Karen Angle and we're set." John said.

"Just the same, while I am out of town I want someone to stay at the house with you. Jimmy said him and Naomi would be happy to do it." Steve said.

"I don't need a babysitter." She sighed.

"Then do it for me. I'll feel better knowing that you aren't alone and there are people with you. Even if you get sick or something, I will feel better knowing you have help." Steve knelt in front of her.

She could see the concern in his eyes and didn't want to cause him anymore stress. "Okay, they can stay with me. Naomi can help me with the nursery. Maybe I can decide on a theme."

"Thank you. I don't mean to be so…it's just…." He couldn't find words.

She smiled. "I know. I worry about you too so I understand."

"Someone start playing some sappy music and get me some popcorn." Seth said.

"Seth if you don't hush, I am going to decorate the nursery in anti-Cubs theme and sing little Nathaniel 'Choke Cubs Choke' every night as a lullaby." Trina told him.

"How can you do that when they are gonna be champions this year?" Seth smirked.

"If that happens, I will make a point for my water to break on something of yours. Your couch, your car seat, something." She said.

"I still haven't agreed on Nathaniel." Steve chuckled.

2230 Hours

Steve stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom and chuckled when he found Trina with Jack next to her on the bed, watching a horror movie. While he had not said anything, he had a feeling that she was trying to enjoy the festivities of the month despite everything happening in the community. He walked into the bedroom and Jack jumped off the bed.

"So what movie is this?" he chuckled.

"Christine'….I found it on demand." She looked up.

'Can I lay beside the baby awhile?" he asked.

She smiled. "Yeah."

Steve laid across the bed with his head in her lap. He gently rubbed her baby bump that was growing more every day. "Any movement yet?"

"No, although according to everything I have read it is moving a lot, I just can't feel it yet." She stroked his hair.

"Do something big so mommy can feel it." He whispered making her chuckle. "Aunt Naomi is coming to stay with you for a few days."

"Daddy is just a bit overprotective. Better hope you are a boy, if you are a girl he won't let you date until you are thirty." She laughed.

"We agreed she could date in groups of friends when she was thirty. She can date alone when she is thirty-five." He said.

"I guess that means you are taking Uncle Seth to the prom." She giggled.

"Not Seth, I still remember when he went to that club with mommy. You can take Uncle John to the prom." Steve said.

"I do love the fact that if it is a boy, you will raise him to be a gentleman. None of that crap about to be a man you have to date and lay a bunch of girls." Trina said. "The boys are very nice gentlemen."

"I just wish Steven would come around. This is a new chapter for our family…all of us." He frowned.

"Do you think he would be this upset if his mother was having another child?" Trina asked.

"I think her baby-having days are past. Maybe that is part of what is bothering him. I am doing something she can't."

"Just because she isn't giving birth, doesn't mean she can't end up with another child. There is adoption, she might remarry to someone who has children." She shrugged. "He might struggle then too. Steven has always been the baby. It can be a big adjustment to not have that spot in the family anymore."

"When you get here, don't drive daddy crazy. Your big brother is already doing that." Steve told the baby.

"No, he is going to help mommy drive Uncle Seth crazy. Spitting up on his shirts, peeing on him when he tries to change diapers, throwing toys at him." She laughed.

"When do you start your yoga classes?"

"I am gonna start next week. And I saw that the resort spa offers prenatal massages."

"Okay, as long as you still let me massage you." He winked.

"Of course, the way my hormones are jumping around you better." She chuckled as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Steve answered the phone. "Whoa Seth, slow down…..okay, we will be right there."

"What is going on?" Trina asked as he hung up the phone.

"Seth said he got a weird call at the station. Come on, I would rather you go than leave you alone." Steve stood up.

2315 Hours

Steve and Trina hurried into the Davis station to find the chief already there speaking with Seth. Both had dressed quickly to get to the station to see what exactly was going on.

"Okay, what is going on? Seth, you said something about a strange phone call." Steve said.

Seth looked up from where he had been talking to Jerry. "I don't know how to take it. It might be a prank."

"Just tell us what happened?" Trina sat down at her desk.

"Slow night, nothing happening and then the phone rings. I answer it and it is a weird voice telling me to stop investigating the ongoing murder cases." Seth said. "I immediately thought it was a prank but they repeated it and then hung up."

"Let's hear the recording." Steve said.

"I pulled it up." Jerry said. "We really need to talk to Bischoff about updating this stuff."

Jerry turned on the recorder. _"Davis Police, Officer Rollins."_

 _"You need to stop investigating these murders." A strange almost robotic voice said._

 _"Excuse me? Who is this?" Seth asked._

 _"Trust me, it is better to let it go." The voice said._

 _"Who is this? You realize prank calling the police is a punishable offense." Seth said._

 _"Just forget about these murders. Nothing good will come if you continue to pursue this." The voice said and hung up._

 _"Hello? Hello?"_

"Is that the only call you got tonight?" Trina asked.

"Yeah. I honestly didn't know what to think so I called you guys." Seth said.

"Well whoever it was disguised their voice. It is either a prankster or we are making someone uncomfortable." Steve said.

"How could we be making someone uncomfortable? We have zilch." Trina frowned.

"What number was the call made from?" Steve asked.

"It came up untraceable." Jerry said.

"How is that possible? This is the police department, our equipment overrides number blocking." Trina asked.

"It came up as untraceable. We have never had such a call into this station in all my years here." Jerry insisted.

"That takes some pretty special knowledge to do something like that." Steve sighed. "Okay, first thing in the morning I am gonna call an expert I know. I want to know what it would take to pull something like this and see what we can do in case it happens again. In the meantime, we do not release this to the public and we carry on as normal."

"You think it was real and not a prank, don't you?" Trina looked at her husband.

"I am not willing to take a chance." Steve said.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Once again, thank you for all your support and feedback. I am enjoying writing this story and I really appreciate each time someone takes a few moments to share some feedback. Paisley2 (I was so upset when I found out when Seth was injured again. I hope he makes it to WrestleMania because so far I am not enthused about the stories they got going to lead into it.) Batistasprincess (Well things are progressing more so it will be getting interesting.) nixystix (You know, I should have thought of that. I would make a great nurse! And it would make my SO jealous as he fusses when he sees Seth on TV. LOL) reikat (At this point I am convinced that the WWE is just doing whatever they can to annoy me. LOL But about the story, I promise it will all make sense as to why the murders were so gory eventually. Hang in there.) jcott3 (I loved Strike Force back in the day. So I just had to include both them in this story. And I am very intrigued with your theory on the Martel murders. Can't say more but I am intrigued. And of course Bischoff has to be a pain with such a big case going on. Yes, it is an election year.) carlyrosanna83 (I miss Seth from Raw.)_


	23. Expert

**Author's Note-** Chapter rated M.

October 8th, 0830 Hours

Trina walked in the Davis station exhausted. She had difficulty sleeping after Seth's strange phone call the night before. She sat down at her desk and laid her head down. Seth immediately frowned as he looked over at her.

"Are you having morning sickness?" he asked.

"No I am just tired. I didn't sleep well last night. Neither did Steve. He tossed and turned all night. He left early to get to Parsons and call this expert he knows." She said with her head down.

"You need to rest. Little Seth is growing." Seth said.

"Nathaniel is fine. I fed him breakfast with juice this morning." She said.

"Is my little man enjoying the playoffs?"

"He is not cheering for the Cubs. I can't even think of that team without my blood pressure raising 50 points." She groaned.

"It is not that bad." Seth chuckled.

"Not that bad? You know how I hate these big money teams buying championships. It is so unfair to small market teams." She lifted her head.

"This is historic, the end of the curse. It is gonna happen." Seth smiled.

"I prefer the curse continue." She rolled her eyes.

"Seth, don't annoy her." John walked in.

"He can't help it. He is breathing." She laughed.

John threw a newspaper down on her desk. "That trash was on sale at the gas station this morning."

"The newspaper from Philippi? Yeah, it has always been sold around here." Seth frowned.

John walked to the coffee pot. "Turn to page 3."

Trina picked up the newspaper and turned to page three. "Couple Killed in Double Murder Laid to Rest, Police Clueless.' She read the headline.

"Really? Clueless? They couldn't have found a way to say that with more tact?" Seth frowned.

"Steve says to ignore it." Trina said.

"Isn't it bad enough that we lost a great family we loved? Or that we are trying to bring peace of mind to other families? They have to attack us in the media on top of it?" John sighed as he sat down.

"I am sure this is just someone trying to sell papers. This isn't a Tucker County newspaper." Trina said.

"We still don't need people adding to the fear around here. I heard some of the parents want to cancel trick or treat." John said.

"Great, some crazy person is going to ruin Halloween for our children." Trina sighed.

1400 Hours

Trina walked out of the locker room to find Steve with a man she didn't know speaking to John and the chief. Steve noticed her and smiled.

"There is my wife. She is a Davis officer and currently working on the case." Steve said.

"Hi, didn't expect you here so soon." She smiled.

"I was lucky and Brian was able to come in from Charleston today. This is Brian Pillman, communications expert with the state police." Steve said. "I met him at the conference in Baltimore last year and luckily kept his contact information."

"Nice to meet you." She shook his hand.

"Likewise, Steve has told me very good things about you and the officers in this county." Brian smiled.

"I am glad to hear that. And glad you were able to come on such short notice." She sat down.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"I am fine, just tired." She assured him. "So what do you think about our mysterious call last night?"

"That is part of why I came on such short notice. I am curious as to how the caller was able to scramble the trace." Brian frowned.

"Is there some equipment a hacker kid could use?" Trina asked.

"Your average hacker wouldn't know how to do that. It would take a very smart hacker with some sophisticated equipment." Brian explained.

"How sophisticated?" John asked.

"Government level equipment. Either they stole it, bought it off the black market or had the knowledge to build one." Brian explained.

"But I thought these days with everyone so tech savvy…would it really be that difficult to get something like that?" John asked.

"Yes, as technology progresses, so does the equipment of law enforcement." Pillman insisted.

"So what do we do?" Steve asked.

"I am gonna hook up some equipment on the phones in case you get any more calls that should be able to help us see better what we are dealing with." Brian said. "I am also gonna see what I can do with what you got from that call last night."

"Do what you need to do. Whether it is a prank or a threat, I don't like it." Jerry said.

1800 Hours

Seth walked into the station to get ready for nightshift and found Trina at her desk with a strange look on her face. A man he didn't know was hooking machines up to the phones. Jerry was in his office and John was nowhere around.

"So Trina what is going on?" Seth asked.

She didn't respond but smiled without looking at him.

"Trina?" he asked. Still no response. "Mrs. Borden?"

"She has been quiet for the past half hour since Layfield left." The stranger said.

"Trinvilla!" Seth snapped his fingers in front of her.

She startled. "Oh hey Seth. When did you get here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I have been trying to get your attention. Are you okay?"

"Oh sorry. My mind started wandering and I was…thinking." She chuckled.

"Daydreaming of Steve again." Seth chuckled. "Must be the pregnancy hormones getting you randy again."

"Seth! We have a guest!" she glared and glanced at the guy working on the phones.

"I got kids myself. Been through it. It's cool." He said without stopping his work.

"Who is our guest?" Seth sat down at his desk.

"This is Brian Pillman. Communications expert with that WV state police that Steve brought in. He is hooking some stuff up to our phones that should help if we get another call." Trina explained.

"So what were you daydreaming about?" Seth smirked.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't you." She rolled her eyes.

"You mean you never reminisce about our time together as master and kitten?" Seth winked.

"Only when I have nightmares that I might actually have missed Steve so much that I worked off some frustration with you in one of those back rooms." She rolled her eyes.

"You were single at the time, I'd have been there for you." he smiled.

"Nah, you would've been scared Steve would've choked you." She laughed. "And while we were split at the time, I don't think I could've gone off with Liam Neeson."

"So were you just daydreaming about Liam Neeson? You get kidnapped on a plane and he rescues you and then join the mile high club?" Seth winked again.

"You know he is so tall…and those bathrooms on planes are so small…."

"Are you really thinking this through?" he looked at her.

"What? Sorry…my mind is wandering. What did you need?" she asked.

"Dear God I hope Steve took his vitamins today." Seth laughed.

"Very funny….but I hope you are right." She giggled.

"I knew it! And I bet tomorrow you have that sex glow on your face again." Seth laughed more.

"Sorry Officer Pillman, we are always like this." Trina blushed a bit.

"Not a problem. Trust me I have heard a lot worse over the years." He shrugged as he worked.

"So have you got play-off fever yet?" Seth smirked.

"Well the play-offs are making me ill for sure." She groaned.

"Just think, when Little Seth is born, I can tell him all about how he was growing inside mommy while the Cubs ended the 108 year curse." He chuckled.

"I swear I am going to make my water break on your bed or couch. I don't care if I have to do jumping jacks on your bed, I will make it happen. Besides, that would be the only way a woman makes your sheets wet these days." She said.

"I gotta quit walking in at the wrong time." John walked in. "First Karen is acting crazy, now the kids are acting crazy."

"What is Karen up to this time? Turning the kids Jewish so they can't have Christmas?" Seth asked.

"I was out on patrol when she actually flagged me down to ask if it would be legal for her to refuse to allow the kids to go trick or treating. She says she is worried about the Martel murders. I assured her that we will patrolling the streets that night and that she should take all the usual precautions…stay with the kids, go to houses where you know people etc. Then she tells me that Kurt will have the kids for Halloween but she doesn't want the kids going out. Kurt has told her he will be with the kids every minute…but you know where this is gonna end up." John sighed.

"You know Seth, Karen might be willing to get your sheets wet. She needs a man to distract her from worrying about Kurt's every move." Trina wiggled her eyebrows.

"Forget that. I have seen how she acts. There isn't enough Viagra in the world for me to be able to get it up for that lunatic." Seth said.

"I am with Seth on this one." John agreed.

2030 Hours

Steve walked out onto the back porch to find Trina sitting on the swing. He noticed she was frowning and staring off across the yard at the barn that still wasn't finished. He sat down on the swing beside her.

"It is a little cold out here." He commented.

"I wanted some fresh air and time to think." She shrugged.

"What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking about the changes I am going through. I tried putting on some of my cute little lingerie things….none of it fits anymore." She sighed.

"Baby, this is just temporary. After the baby is born, you will go back to normal size." He wrapped an arm around her.

"But right now, I just feel like….sometimes I feel like…it is hard to explain." She shrugged.

He gently turned her face to look at him. "Everything you are going through is perfectly normal. Your body is changing and you have to adjust to that. The hormones are making everything more intense so you feel more emotional. And your mind is preparing for motherhood and life changes while you try dealing with the physical changes."

"How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?" she nuzzled against him.

"Just some wisdom from someone who has lived a lot and been through this before." He smiled. "Besides, you know you still look great. If you didn't have your rings on, I bet you'd get hit on."

"Who hits on pregnant women?" she laughed.

"Look on Craigslist sometime. I had to for a case back in California. There is some people on there looking for every kind of strange kink you can imagine. Guys looking for pregnant women, guys that want lactating women, guys that want married women, guys that want oral sex only, guys that want ANR…which I never even heard of until that case." He shrugged.

"Who advertises for…never mind." She sighed. "But thank you for making me feel better."

"I like seeing my girl smile." He hugged her.

"Come on, let's go in." she stood up.

Trina opened the screen door, and Steve moved to step inside before her. Just before she passed through the door, Steve turned and put his hand lightly on Trina's hip, running it smoothly down over her ass and with a whispered touch, up over the center seam of Trina's pants. His hand paused and rested in the small of her back, and he turned toward Trina. With electrifying slowness, Steve fitted his lips over Trina's. With a sigh, Trina gave in and opened her mouth. Steve broke the kiss and looked at her, smiled, then swayed into her and pressed the length of his body against Trina.

"So, are you feeling sexy now?" Steve spoke with a half-smile, His hand still on Trina's back.

"I think I want to spend some time with my husband. Let's go in. Let's go in now." she kissed him again.

They walked inside, careful to lock the door behind them. Without preamble, she led Steve upstairs into the bedroom, sat down on the bed, and looked up.

Steve looked at her, then got to his knees in front of Trina, putting both hands on Trina's thighs, resting the length of his forearms along Trina's legs, their faces inches away. He pushed Trina backwards, and rested his head on Trina's baby bump, running his hands up her ribcage and back down.

Steve climbed up and settled on the bed. With a small rustle, Trina slid onto the bed beside Steve. She stretched out full length beside him, up on one elbow with breasts pressed against Steve's side, leg over top. She slowly traced the shape of Steve's jawline with her finger, and then turned his face toward hers. Again they kissed, deeply. With that, Trina pressed harder against her and the kiss grew frantic, heated, both not caring anymore, losing control.

Steve broke the kiss, sat up and peeled off his shirt. He then turned to her and tugged her shirt out of her jeans as Trina arched her back to allow it as Trina lay back and let him, looking up with an unreadable expression. Steve pushed up the t-shirt, and allowed himself to run his hands over the smooth baby bump, the small bumps of the ribs, grazed the back of his hand on the edge of a breast, and lightly touched the fabric of the bra, feeling a hard nipple under his palm and hearing an indrawn breath from Trina. He bent his head and breathed warm breath on the nipple, his mouth close, his cheek feeling the fabric of the bra, then unhooked the bra and watched as the smooth expanses of flesh came into view. Steve bent his head and licked the nipple. Trina arched her back, and gasped. Steve smiled, hearing that gasp. He gently pulled away and stood up.

He stood Trina up, and began undressing her. He did not hurry, but did not take it slow either. He was torn between taking an hour and going slow and just throwing her on the bed like he hadn't seen her in weeks. She stood before him, naked, the glow from the lamp reflecting the softness of her skin, the glitter in her eyes. Steve shed his own clothing in a few motions.

"I love you, Trina. You are beautiful, nothing has changed." he said.

"I love you too. You make me feel beautiful. Come here." Trina grasped his hands  
and they settled onto the bed.

Steve kissed her again...and then pulled back, straddled her thighs, and put both hands on either side of Trina's head. He began kissing her neck, lightly, teasing, tickling, making wet  
trails and breathing on the trails to make sudden coldness. His mouth dragged down, between Trina's breasts, hot tongue, then found a nipple, teasing and quick little licks, then suddenly hot suction. Trina felt Steve's tongue leave her breast, and Steve shifted down and down.

Steve was so agonizingly slow, and then suddenly Steve pushed Trina's hips to the mattress, stopping all the frenzied motion and withdrawing his kisses. Trina opened her eyes, and saw that Steve was gazing at her and felt Steve part her legs slightly. Steve then knelt down, bending his head to Trina's center, and she felt his hot breath. Then his wet tongue touched her clit, just the point of the tongue. Trina was so wet, she felt as if his tongue were splitting her in two, as it hit her clit she nearly came. His tongue pressed up and down her slit, opening her wider and wider. Then she felt gentle pressure entering her, spreading her open, moving in and out with such ease. Trina looks down and can see Steve's hand moving back and forth, Steve's face buried and his mouth sucking and sucking...she can barely stand it. Trina spreads her legs wide open and Steve suddenly stops. Trina is panting, shaking with Steve's fingers inside her, she feels so exposed, so wide open, Steve is looking at her.

"Feel good?" he smirked.

"God yes, don't stop." she panted.

Steve bends his head down, and starts to suck Trina's clit. Trina feels it building and loses all sight, hearing, and comes, shaking and pulsing and vibrating, it's so strong. She rolls on her side, mouth open, crying out...it lasts for about a minute, and slowly the waves get less and less, her body relaxes and she collapses, limp, breathing hard.

"You with me?" he crawled up next to her.

"I don't know. Who am I?" she opened her eyes.

"I'll take that to mean you enjoyed that." he brushed the hair off her face.

Steve moves between her legs, kneeling at the edge of the bed. He pulls Trina so that her ass is right at the edge of the bed, legs hanging over, slightly spread. He slowly begins sliding into her. He pushed all the way in, hearing Trina's gasps, then slowly slides out. He pushes Trina's legs up, loving the way she felt around him. Trina is panting, gasping, thrusting her hips, begging for more.

Steve pulls out, grabs Trina, and turns her over so that her legs hang down over the edge. He pushes back in doggy style, and he sees Trina's back arching and her ass coming back. Trina screams and Steve is slamming in and out. He pulls Trina backwards, off the bed, holding her up against him. She leans back against him and suddenly Trina is coming, he can feel her tensing, and Steve slides all the way in, as far as he can go, holds there, riding out his own completion.

He held on to her as she was mumbling her legs felt like jelly.

"You okay?" he buried his face against her neck.

"I don't know. That was too good." she panted.

"Crawl up on the bed." he nudged her forward.

She crawled onto the bed and collapsed. He crawled on next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Remind me to thank Seth for the heads up about your daydreams." Steve mumbled.

"He did what? I am going to strangle him." She lifted her head.

He chuckled. "Don't choke him. It was fun." 

_**Author's Notes-**_ _Thank you for the reviews and feedback. As you can tell things are picking up at a steady pace. You guys are awesome. Paisley2 (I hope he will be there…and not some meaningless run in like Cena did last year. And I adore Tito.) nixystix (I seriously hope he returns soon. But in the meantime, he is fun to write.) Batistasprincess (I hadn't thought of the horror movie thing but I guess that has been in a few movies. LOL) Reikat (It is part of her flaw that she is so stubborn and having difficulty adjusting to pregnancy. And her hormones are making everything crazier. BTW- when you said Trina knows when to fold them, I couldn't stop singing Kenny Rogers, LOL.) Guest (Yes, things will progress because of the New Orleans trip…with a twist.) carlyrosanna83 (So glad you are continuing to enjoy the story.)_


	24. Steve Goes to New Orleans

October 12th, 0700 Hours

"Did you remember to pack my razor?" Steve yelled into the bedroom where Trina was packing his bags for him to fly out to New Orleans.

"Yes dear. And I packed your swim trunks in case you want to swim. I googled your hotel and it has an indoor and outdoor pool." Trina chuckled.

"Did you pack me enough dress slacks?" Steve asked.

"Yes dear, and a few extra pairs of khakis and jeans. I wanted you to have options." She shook her head. "Why are you so nervous?"

Steve walked in from the bathroom. "I don't know. Must be just nerves about leaving you while you're pregnant and the murders."

"I will be fine. Jimmy and Naomi will be with me. We will all be here together." Trina assured him. "I am actually looking forward to spending time with them."

"That does make me feel a bit better. How is my little one this morning?" he asked.

"Fine, still can't feel them move. But no morning sickness so I am enjoying the morning." She smiled.

"You take care of them while I am gone. You have all my information, where I am staying and I will have my cell phone with me." He told her.

"I am not due any time soon." She laughed.

"I know but…. Was I like this when expecting the boys?" Steve muttered.

"I adore how you worry about me." She hugged him. "The baby and I will be fine. You just have a good time while you are in New Orleans….and behave along the French Quarter."

"It is not Mardi Gras." Steve chuckled. "Besides, I got a beautiful wife at home that I will be missing."

They heard Jack begin barking. "Sounds like Jimmy and Naomi are here."

"Perfect timing, it is about time for me to head out so I will make it to the airport on time." Steve glanced out the window.

Trina walked down the stairs to let the guests in, while Steve gathered his suitcase and garment bag. She opened the door and let the two in.

"Glad you guys are here. I set you up in the guest room off the living room." She smiled.

"Thanks again for staying with Trina while I am out of town." Steve walked down the stairs.

"Glad to do it. Gotta take care of our girls." Jimmy smiled.

"And we are getting the nursery ideas finalized." Naomi laughed and hugged Trina.

"I just can't decide. I want the nursery to be something the baby will like. I am afraid they will hate it if I choose the wrong thing." Trina said.

"No, just as long as it is a pleasant environment, it will be fine." Steve chuckled. "She is having some of those pregnancy jitters."

"Anything we need to know about being here?" Jimmy asked.

"If you arrive here without me, do not try to get in. Jack will not take it well even though he sees you here with me now. It took him awhile to adjust to Steve coming and going." Trina explained.

"Make sure to double check all the locks at night. Keep a close eye on Trina. Make sure she doesn't work too much and gets plenty of rest." Steve said.

"We will be fine. Quit worrying." Naomi said.

"You want to sneak in a quickie? We can go for breakfast or something." Jimmy winked.

"Done that already. He set the alarm early on purpose." Trina giggled.

0830 Hours

Trina walked into the station and found Seth sitting at his desk. Before she could sit down, the sounds of the Cubs victory song began playing in the station.

"Turn that off! The baby is gonna start hearing soon and I do not want the first thing he hears to be 'Go Cubs Go'." She glared.

"That would be so awesome for Little Seth!" he laughed.

"I am gonna strangle you if you don't turn that off." She sat down.

"You can't rain on my parade. These are some great playoffs." He smiled but did turn the music down.

"My husband just left to go out of town and already you are annoying me." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, he will be back next week. You got all of us and Naomi and Jimmy are staying with you. And how is Little Seth? I read online he is the size of a turnip."

"Everything is fine and I go back to Dr. Morrissey next week." She said. "Starting to get some weird dreams though. He said to expect it."

"Like what? Anything dirty?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I was having sex with Steve on your desk." She deadpanned.

"I thought you had forgot about that."

"Well with all this libido to deal with, it popped back in my head." She chuckled.

"You two are not having sex on my desk. Say…with him out of town, how are you gonna handle the libido problems?"

"I dunno, just deal with it as it happens I guess." She shrugged.

"Need me to talk dirty to you?" he winked.

"I don't even want to know." John walked in.

"Seth is being his usual self." Trina laughed.

Jerry walked in looking grim. "TJ Perkins has been found dead."

"What?" they all looked up at him.

"He was found dead in a train car in Ashland, Kentucky. The train did come through here but we don't know if there is a connection or not." Jerry sighed.

"What do they know?" Trina asked.

"They are gonna fax information as they get it. What they have been able to tell me so far is that a coal train arrived at a steel mill and as they were unloading it, they found his body among the coal." Jerry said.

"We need to track that train. Do they know when it came through Tucker County? We'll need its schedule." John said.

"When was he found?" Trina asked.

"They are working on the train schedule and he was found early this morning. They recognized him due to the missing person profile and called us since this is where he went missing." Jerry said.

"Great, something else for the media to get ahold of." John sighed.

"Need me to stay?" Seth asked.

"No, go on home and get some rest. We'll see you tonight." Jerry said.

1600 Hours

"Trina, where are we on the Perkins kid?" John looked over at her.

"I have been going over the information being faxed to us from Kentucky. Preliminary autopsy results say that Perkins died from internal bleeding. Broken ribs punctured a lung and he drowned in his own blood. Five of his ribs were broken or cracked. He also had seven broken fingers, a broken left arm, broken right leg, dislocated left ankle, a broken jaw and three of his teeth were missing." Trina said.

"Damn, that is quite a list of injuries." John frowned.

"Autopsy also found that he showed signs of malnutrition. And marks on his arms and legs showed he had been restrained." Trina read. "How goes the train schedules?"

"That train left the Wheeling area yesterday morning, passed through here a few hours later, made two stops in the state to load cargo and arrived in Ashland at 1am." John rubbed his eyes.

"If I had to guess, based on the injuries to Perkins…this is related to our killer. And I think whoever kidnapped him, killed him after keeping him alive for whatever reasons." She said.

"Did autopsy have a time of death?" John asked.

She looked over the paperwork again. "Estimated he had been dead at least forty-eight hours."

"With the strange shit happening around here, we don't know if he was placed in that train around here or elsewhere in state. That Brook girl was found in Mason County." John said.

"We haven't gotten any strange calls since Pillman hooked up the special tracing devices. No help there." She sighed.

"We might need to call in the feds to help. We are getting nowhere." John said.

"Steve and the sheriff don't want to do that. The feds get in the way and often cause more problems than anything. Besides, whoever this is made it very personal when they killed the Martel's." Trina said.

"We might not have any choice. And Bischoff is probably going to take the choice away from us. An election year with the locals screaming for justice and organizing meetings." John said.

"I know you are right but I plan to fight it every step of the way. This is our case. Whoever this is came into our territory and starting kidnapping people, leaving dead people and killed some locals. We get to bring them down, no one else. Bischoff be damned." She insisted.

"I hope you are right." John said. "Don't get too upset. That baby is depending on you."

"I am fine. In the meantime, we need to send this information over to share with the Sheriff and Parsons department. I am sure the sheriff will be dealing with Bischoff sooner than later." She said. "And while Steve is gone, let's just give him the basics. I don't want to worry him anymore than he already is."

1900 Hours

"Ready for the play-offs tonight?" Seth smirked as Trina gathered her things to get ready to leave.

"I am going to strangle you." She rolled her eyes.

"Little Seth wants to watch the play-offs. He told me." Seth smiled.

"Uncle Seth is trying to get you into trouble." She told her baby bump. "This is why I told you not to listen to him."

Seth rolled his chair over and patted her bump. "Mommy is just mad because the Cubs are going to win everything."

"Uncle Seth isn't going to live long enough to see it if he keeps annoying mommy." She chuckled.

"You gonna dress the baby up for Halloween?" Seth asked.

She stared at him. "Seth, the baby is in the womb. How the hell would I dress it up for Halloween?"

"Paint something on your baby bump. Lots of ladies do that." Seth said.

"You have finally lost your mind. The Cubs have fried your brain."

"No, it would be cute. A pumpkin…since a baby bump is round you could do a pumpkin." Seth's face lit up.

"I am headed to Almost Heaven then going home. Naomi and Jimmy will be getting there soon." She laughed.

"Why you going to Almost Heaven?"

"I am having a craving for some of those greasy chili cheese fries." Trina chuckled. "Have a good night. Go Giants!"

She walked out of the station and down the street to Almost Heaven. She walked in and saw that there were several people inside and Randy had the play-off pre-game on the TV.

"Trina, what brings you in here?" Randy asked as she walked up to the bar.

"Can I get an order of chili cheese fries to go?" she asked.

"Sure thing, I'll put that right in for you." He winked. "Baby hungry?"

"Must be. I have wanted your greasy fries for two hours." She laughed.

She stood patiently at the bar waiting for her order, half-paying attention to the pre-game festivities on the TV.

"Shouldn't you be at work? We have a murderer on the loose and the police hanging out here." Steve Austin walked up next to her.

"Hello Austin." She half ignored him.

"You still haven't answered my question." He stared at her.

"Look, I know you are leading one of the vigilante groups and have been loudly vocal about your feelings of the police handling of the ongoing murder case, but that doesn't mean you get to come up with our work schedule." She narrowed her eyes.

"And what are you guys doing to solve this? How many more people have to be found butchered in their homes before Mayberry RFD gets a clue?" he asked.

"Don't you talk to me about these murders! You have no idea what I have seen. How hard it is on every one of the officers every time we find someone killed, whether it is a local or someone from out of town. It is easy for you to be an armchair officer when you aren't the one losing sleep, talking to grieving families, worrying about your friends and spouse in the field! You wanna criticize, fine. Just stay out of my face with your bullshit!" she glared.

"Coralie Martel is grieving and I have talked to her."

"So have I. Instead of stirring up more fear and non-sense, why don't you try supporting the police? Organize some neighborhood watch programs? Look into getting some self-defense classes taught locally?" she gripped the bar.

"Back off Austin!" Randy suddenly appeared. "You know I don't put up with shit in my bar."

"Just a conversation." Austin took a few steps back.

"No, you were harassing her and it isn't happening in my bar." Randy glared.

Austin held up his hands in surrender and walked away. Trina breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Randy. Seems a lot of people are out to give us a hard time lately." She slumped against the bar.

"Not in here they won't. Your fries will be up in a minute. I'll walk you out when they are ready." Randy assured her.

2230 Hours

"You cannot do a Care Bears nursery. If the baby is a boy he will hate it." Jimmy said from where he was watching TV while the ladies looked at nursery ideas.

"See, hate it! That is what I am afraid of. The baby will hate its nursery." Trina said.

"Will you stop worrying her? Care Bears is cute and they are back in style." Naomi said.

"But they are more for girls." Jimmy said.

"Well I like the Muppet Babies idea too. I watched them as a kid, they were adorable." Trina yawned.

"Why don't you go on and get some rest? It has been a long day. We will be turning in soon." Naomi told her.

"That is a good idea. I need to call Steve too. You guys know where everything is so help yourselves." She stood up. "And if you guys make a mess on the sheets, you change them. And try to keep the screaming to a minimum."

"You and Steve ever fooled around in that guest room?" Jimmy smirked.

"Remember last year when we got back together?" Trina winked.

Jimmy laughed. "Steve got mad game."

Trina chuckled as she walked upstairs with Jack and Wonder following close behind her. She went into the bedroom and shut the door. She picked up the landline and dialed Steve's cell phone number.

"There you are. I was wondering when you would call." Steve greeted on the other end.

"Naomi and I were going over nursery ideas and Jimmy was watching some show on Netflix." Trina laughed. "How is New Orleans?"

"Well I am all settled in my hotel room. I am exhausted, long day of traveling." Steve said.

"I miss you. Even with people here with me, the house feels different without you." She crawled under the covers of the bed.

"I miss you too. Can't sleep well without you." He admitted. "How was your day?"

"Busy….TJ Perkins was found dead in Kentucky. But enough about work. I just want to talk to you." She said.

"Any progress on the nursery?"

"I was thinking it might be fun to give it an 80's theme of some kind since that is when I grew up. I thought Care Bears would be cute but Jimmy says that is too girly for a boy. I like the Muppet Babies. I really do like the idea of using yellow and green for the colors." She said.

"How is my baby?" he asked.

"Still haven't felt it move. But Seth wants me to paint my baby bump for Halloween." She laughed.

"You haven't strangled him over the play-offs have you?"

"No, I promise he is fine. But I might strangle him if he doesn't stop with that stupid song." Trina laughed. "How is the hotel?"

"Fancy but as long as it has a comfortable bed and clean bathroom, that is all I care about. I don't know why Bischoff spends so much money on lodging."

"So he can say he is giving the county employees the best." She rolled her eyes. "But I am glad you are staying somewhere nice. Have you heard from the boys?"

"Steven called earlier. He didn't mention the baby. Talked mostly about school and his classes this semester."

"It'll be okay. Maybe we can do some family counseling or something." She suggested.

"I hope you are right." He sighed. "You all settled in for the night?"

"Yes, everything is fine. House is all locked up. I am snuggled down in bed; Jack is up here beside me." She chuckled.

"Good, makes me feel better knowing you are safe. You get some rest. I will call you in the morning before my first session." He said.

"Get some sleep, I know you are tired." She smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too. Take care of the baby. Goodnight." He hung up.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Love all my fans, you guys are the best with your reviews and support. Seriously, you guys rock. Batistasprincess (More Karen antics coming soon. She is a hoot to write and I get inspiration from a crazy woman in the neighborhood.) jcott3 (I was channeling a late 80's/early 90's Brian Pillman. You ever seen when he 'did CPR' to 'revive' Ric Flair at one of the events? I still crack up when I see that. And I did suspect the 'guest' was a regular reviewer but I wasn't sure which one.) reikat (JBL is fun to write. I wish he were in more stories on the site.) nixystix (I have had to turn on the AC already due to hot weather and now we are expecting snow… go figure. Of course seeing Seth on Raw is always an AC needed moment, LOL.) Paisley2 (I am a bit worried his WrestleMania participation will be like Cena last year, a run in. Glad you are enjoying Pillman. I adored him back in the day.) carlyrosanna83 (I don't care who beats Triple H as long as someone does. LOL)_


	25. New Directions

October 18th, 1900 Hours

Seth walked into the station after going to Almost Heaven to help deal with a fight that had broken out and was surprised to see Trina was still there. She was sitting in the break room crying. He frowned and walked in and sat down beside her.

"What is the matter? Are you sick? Something wrong with Little Seth?" he asked.

"No, everything is fine." She wiped her eyes.

"Do you miss Steve? He is coming home tomorrow." Seth rubbed her back.

"No, I mean yeah I miss him. But….that's not why I am crying." She said.

"Then why are you crying?"

"I don't know." She sniffled.

"You don't know?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No, I just started gathering my things to go home for the evening and started crying." She wiped her eyes again.

"So…how can I help?"

"I don't know. I don't know what's wrong." She shrugged.

Seth frowned. "This must be a pregnancy thing."

"I guess, I just feel upset and I don't know why and that confuses me which upsets me more. I just wanna cry." She reached for a tissue.

"I think you just miss Steve. But he is coming home tomorrow. I am sure you two will have some sizzling reunion sex." Seth told her.

"I do miss him. I mean not….but I do. It's not the same around the house or work without him." She sighed.

"And you and Naomi got the nursery figured out…yellow and green with forest animals. It is going to be adorable." Seth smiled. "Little Seth will love it."

"Actually, I think I have decided on his name. I got the idea from a show that I have been watching with Jimmy." Trina said.

"I thought we were naming him Seth Rollins Borden?"

"What is this 'we' stuff?" she laughed.

"He is my little buddy and we said that is what you would name him when you were stabbed."

"No that is what you said I would name my baby when I got pregnant." She laughed more.

"Hey, I made you laugh." He smiled.

"I know. Thank you." She hugged him.

"Had to take care of Little Seth." He shrugged. "Now go on home and get some rest. I got things around here."

"Ugh, I hate to think of sleeping in that bed without my husband. And I am having some very erotic dreams." She groaned.

"Oh really? Like what?" Seth smirked.

"Use your imagination. But between the dreams and my libido increased from pregnancy….do you know what it is like to just want to ride a hard…never mind."

Seth broke out laughing. "I am sure Steve will be thrilled when he gets home. I know I would be."

"Yeah, no texting him."

"Oh come on. One guy to another, I owe him to let him know his adorable wife is horny for him and anxious for him to get home." Seth laughed more.

"You try having raging hormones and your husband is out of town." She rolled her eyes.

"If you were a different type of woman, I would help you out. But you and Steve are all in love and neither of you are cheaters. And I love you both so….got any toys around the house?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she laughed. "But you really think I am still attractive?"

"Of course. Besides, as pretty as you are, the most attractive thing about you is your spunk." He told her.

"Thanks Seth. I needed to hear that." She hugged him again. "Now, I am off to try to sleep without my husband. And with my luck lately, I will have a sex dream about Anthony Rizzo."

"See, you secretly like the Cubs."

"No, it would represent how the Cubs have screwed the rest of the NL." She chuckled.

October 19th, 0800 Hours

Trina walked into the station to find Seth talking with John and Jerry, everyone frowning. She was immediately concerned.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"Another strange call came into the station last night." Seth looked up at her.

"Why didn't you call me?" she set down her bag.

"With our detective out of town, I called the chief. We have been working on it since the call came in about 4am." Seth explained.

"Well, what did you find out? Did the stuff Pillman hooked up trace the call?" she wanted to know.

"We're not sure. The call was traced to Amsterdam." Jerry said.

"Holland? How the hell would anyone in Holland even know that tiny little Davis, West Virginia exists?" she exclaimed.

"We called Pillman; he is on his way up later today to see what else he can find out. But he said from the sounds of it, we are dealing with a real intelligent expert with some extremely sophisticated equipment. His theory is that the call was placed in the United States, but the caller…knowing we would be tracing the call scrambled it and made it appear as if it was coming from Amsterdam." Jerry said.

"Isn't this the stuff in movies? Can I at least get a Liam Neeson cameo out of this?" she sighed and sat down.

"Well whatever it is, the call is creepy as hell. I don't like that we have gotten two phone calls at the station, late at night from someone who obviously doesn't want us investigating these murders." John frowned.

"Let me hear it." Trina said.

Jerry sighed but started playing the phone recording.

 _"Davis Police Station, Officer Rollins."_

 _"We told you to stop investigating the Martel murders." The weird automated voice came over the line._

 _"Excuse me? Who is this?"_

 _"Just forget about the Martel murders. Forget about the girl in the woods and the river. Forget about the man in the train and on the tracks."_

 _"And why would we do that?"_

 _"Because it is not worth it. Just walk away. Forget about it. Write them off as unsolved."_

 _"You know I can't do that." Seth was obviously trying to keep them on the line._

 _"You should. You have a long life ahead of you Seth. These murders are not worth interfering with that."_

 _"If you have information about this case, bring it forward and let the police handle it."_

 _"You have been warned. I suggest you listen." They hung up._

 _"Hello? Hello?"_

"I don't like the sounds of that. It sounds like they are making threats." John said.

"How did they know his name was Seth?" Trina asked.

"What?" the men looked at her.

"Both times this person has called, Seth answered the phone using 'Officer Rollins' to introduce himself. We all do that. But in this call, they specifically called him Seth." She pointed out.

The men looked at each other. None of them had picked up on the small detail.

"Whoever is making these calls, they either know Seth…or they have been researching the department." Trina said.

"This is getting very uncomfortable." John said.

"No kidding. And I don't like feeling that anyone is threatening my officers." Jerry said. "Pillman will be here later. What time is Steve getting in?"

"His plane arrives in Baltimore this afternoon, then he is driving home." Trina said.

"When he gets home, have him come in. We need to get him caught up on everything. I am gonna call the sheriff. Keep this quiet. I don't want more panic among the public." Jerry told them.

1300 Hours

Trina returned from lunch to find Brian Pillman working on the phone system while John assisted.

"Hello gentlemen. Find anything useful yet?" Trina asked.

"Hi Officer Conley." Pillman said.

"Oh please, call me Trina. We are pretty informal around here. We're all pretty close." She smiled as she sat down.

"I am not sure what I am finding is useful, but I am finding some really strange trace patterns. Whoever called early this morning, they have some expensive high tech equipment. The type of equipment that the government fights against." Pillman said.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning to make a call but have it falsely traced to a different phone, the caller had to have equipment that gives false information to the computers used by the phone company, the police….this is not something even your average hacker kid has." Pillman explained.

"So what type of criminal usually has such equipment?" John asked.

"Terrorists, government infiltrators…no one with good intentions." Pillman frowned.

"So what do we do now?" Trina asked.

"Not much we can do. Whoever is making these calls knows how to get around the best tracing equipment. What I can advise is that the next time this person calls, try keeping them on the phone as long as possible. Maybe they will give useful information. And maybe I will be able to get more information on the trace." Pillman said.

"How can anyone have equipment better than law enforcement?" Trina asked.

"Usually they don't. But when they create something more advanced, we have to study it to figure out how to counteract it. Whoever this is…they are highly advanced, have some big money, and a big reason for keeping secrets." Pillman said.

"I feel like I am losing my mind. Like we have come upon the perfect criminals that cannot be caught and are ten steps ahead of us." She groaned.

"Something has to give. The community is freaking out, vigilante groups being formed, media sneering at us….and people are at risk." John agreed.

"Look, I got some contacts in the FBI. I am going to call around and see what they might know. Maybe they have some similar cases or have even some experimental equipment we can try." Pillman said. "All off the record of course."

"We appreciate it." John said.

"My husband will be here in a few hours. I am sure he will be anxious to talk to you too." Trina sighed.

1600 Hours

Trina was sitting in the break room with John having a snack while Pillman spoke to the chief and went over everything they had technology-wise and calling his friends with the FBI.

"Excited for your doctor's appointment tomorrow?" John asked her.

"Yeah, we are having a sonogram. So we will get to see the baby and maybe tell if it is a boy or a girl." She smiled.

"What are you hoping for?"

"Doesn't matter to me. Steve doesn't care either. We just want a happy healthy baby."

"Part of me still can't believe you are having a baby. I remember when you arrived here as a rookie and now you are married with a baby on the way." He chuckled.

They heard the door open and Steve walked in. Trina jumped out of her seat and ran out to greet him. She flung her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"That is wonderful to come home to." He smiled. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Home isn't the same without you." She kissed him.

They heard a throat clear and turned to see Jerry standing with Pillman.

"You'll have to excuse them, they are still newlyweds." Jerry told Brian.

"Not a problem." He shrugged.

"I guess we have had developments in the case." Steve said upon seeing Brian.

"Yeah, there is a lot you need to get caught up on." Jerry said.

"Give me a few minutes with Trina first. I need to talk to her in private." Steve said.

"Sure, take a few minutes. But we do have a lot you need to get up to speed on. Between phone calls and TJ Perkins, you have missed a lot." Jerry said.

Steve grabbed Trina's hand and pulled her towards the locker room.

"A quickie?" she giggled.

"I wish, but no. I promise we will have time for that at the farm." Steve said.

"Then what did you need to talk to me about?" she asked as she sat down on the bench.

"While I was at the conference, I met a detective from Scotland Yard…Adrian Neville. Nice kid." Steve said.

"Oh my god, something happened between you and this woman?" Trina asked.

"Huh? What? Trina, no. Adrian Neville is a guy. What is the matter with you?"

"Sorry…just with me gaining weight….I thought….I don't know."

"I can't believe you said that." Steve crossed his arms.

"Well you try getting fat, being told you can't do everything you used to and see how you feel if I mentioned another guy?" she glared.

Steve took a deep breath. "I don't want to fight. We will deal with your insecurities later."

"What did you need to tell me about Detective Neville?" Trina sighed.

"I talked to him and we got along pretty good. Anyway, I told him what I could about our ongoing case. He pointed me in a new direction….but I wanted to run it by you before I brought it up to the rest of the team."

"What is it?"

"Snuff videos. Apparently there is a huge market for that kind of thing. I did some research on my own in the evenings. This might be what we are dealing with."

She frowned. "Those videos of people being murdered?"

"It makes sense. The victims show signs of torture. And if these are some film makers with big money behind them, they would be able to afford equipment that could get around tracing devices." Steve said.

"But I thought those videos featured the deaths of homeless people and abandoned mental patients?" she was confused.

"Not always, sometimes they kidnap children to cater to the pedophile and child killer crowd." Steve sat down beside her. "I didn't say everything fit. But it seems to make more sense than anything else right now."

"You're right. I say let's look into it more. We got nothing else to try." Trina said. "You better get out there, a lot has happened while you were gone."

"I really did miss you." He brushed her hair back.

"I missed you too. Just ask Seth." She smiled.

"And no ladies there even caught my attention. You are all I want." He kissed her. "Quit worrying about gaining weight. You look great."

"You mean it?" she looked at him.

"Are you kidding? When you came running at me when I walked in, my breath caught in my throat. A beautiful woman excited to see me, what guy wouldn't be breathless?" he kissed her.

"You always know how to make me feel better." She smiled. "You better get out there before John comes in and drags you away so Seth won't think we were naked in here."

2100 Hours

Steve walked out of Jerry's office where he had been meeting with the chief, the sheriff, Damien, and Pillman. He had been spending the afternoon getting caught up on the case and discussing with the others where to go from this point.

"Trina, how goes the research into snuff films?" Jerry asked.

"I think we might be onto something here." She handed them some of her research.

"Problem is, no one around here has the money to finance such things." Seth said. "And I don't think anyone around here would be into this stuff anyway. I mean secret bondage fetishes is one thing, but enjoying watching murders and torture?"

"And I don't think that any of these were snuff victims of the suicide variety, did you know some people film suicides to watch? What the hell kind of entertainment is that?" Trina shook her head. "Also, animal killing is popular snuff videos among certain crowds which might explain the mutilated animals found during the summer."

"Looks like we might be on the right track here, problem is we don't know who is behind it." Flair frowned.

"You guys can work on it more tomorrow. It has been a long day, Steve has been traveling and Trina needs to rest too." Jerry said.

"The chief has a point. I will see what else I can find overnight." Seth said.

"And I will be back in a few days. A friend of mine in the FBI has a new tracing device he is willing to loan out when I told him we had a potential snuff film case." Pillman said.

"And I will continue to hold off Bischoff as best as I can. The guy is worse than a Chihuahua on caffeine with the election coming up." Damien said.

"And we have the play-offs to enjoy." Seth said.

"Seth, I am pregnant, tired, haven't had sex in a week and have a gun!" Trina glared at him.

"I love coming here. Always a free show." Damien laughed.

"But you do need some rest. You have an appointment with Dr. Morrissey tomorrow and a sonogram." Steve said. "And I am exhausted and would like to relax at home."

"Okay, I know when I am outnumbered." Trina chuckled.

"I want to see pictures of Little Seth." Seth said.

"Don't worry, we will get some print outs from the doctor." Steve smiled.

"Oh Steve, I need to talk to you about the name I have picked out for the baby. Jimmy got me to watching this new show after I cried while trying to watch 'Creed'." Trina said.

"Why were you crying while watching 'Creed'?" Seth asked.

"Well it is a sad movie, Rocky is battling cancer." Damien said.

"But that isn't why I was crying." Trina stood up.

Seth frowned. "Then why were you crying? Hormone thing again?"

"Sort of….had I not been pregnant I probably would've just thrown things at the TV. But instead I broke down crying." Trina packed her bag.

"Well what made you so sad?" Seth rolled his eyes.

"I found out Apollo cheated on his wife."

Seth stared at her. "And?"

"And what? Apollo Creed cheated on his wife! Apollo that we watched and loved all those years was nothing but a low down, no good, can't keep it in his pants jackass!" Trina said.

"He is a fictional character." Seth laughed.

"A character that we were all attached too and then you find out he had the morals of a tomcat! Makes me wanna go back and watch 'Rocky IV' and cheer on Drago. Except that scary Russian bitch!" Trina said.

"Steve, don't ever cheat on her. She'll find a Russian to kill you while James Brown music plays." Seth cracked up.

"I'll keep that in mind." Steve shook his head. "Come on, you can tell me all about this baby name and show. There are no cheaters on it are there?"

"No, but they do have romantic drama, some of which annoys me. You are gonna love it." She hugged him. "See you guys tomorrow after my appointment."

"Is it always like this around here?" Pillman asked as they watched them walk out.

"Pretty much." Jerry laughed.

2130 Hours

Steve walked out into the bedroom after taking a long hot shower to unwind. He found Trina sitting on the couch watching the show Jimmy had gotten her interested in. She was on her laptop looking through websites to order things for the nursery.

"The baby grew while I was gone." Steve smiled.

She looked up at him. "You think?"

"Yeah, I can see the baby is bigger." He sat down beside her.

"I am so glad you are home." She leaned against him.

"Me too. I sleep better next to you." He kissed her forehead.

"You excited to see the baby tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I want to see they are okay and finally see them. I know they are in there but I am anxious to see them." He said.

"You like what I have picked out for the nursery?"

"It is cute. I think that it will look cute. Glad you and Naomi got everything picked out." He looked at her laptop.

"You know the Fall Festival is coming up next weekend."

"Yeah, I have to be there. But in all honesty, I am looking forward to it. I think everyone could use a fun break after all the crazy things going on around here." He said.

"Speaking of fun…Seth and I are planning some bets for the World Series. He has mentioned costumes." Trina giggled.

"I go away for one week and come back to find my wife and her insane sidekick are up to god knows what antics." Steve groaned.

"It is not that bad. The chief is getting in on it since the Indians are involved." Trina laughed.

"Why is it everyone at your station is so fun, but in Parsons we are stuck with Summer who won't quit chasing Jey and is just waiting for you to visit the Bermuda Triangle?" he shook his head.

"We are a fun bunch." She smiled.

"Okay, so tell me about this show and what you want to name the baby. Which character is it?" Steve settled back and looked at the TV.

September 20th, 1000 Hours

Trina sat nervously on the examining table, waiting on Dr. Morrissey to come in while Steve watched her tapping her foot.

"What is wrong? You haven't stopped fidgeting since they called us back here." Steve frowned.

"I am nervous. In a few minutes the doctor is going to tell us if the baby is okay and what it is." She said.

He reached over and took her hand. "Everything is going to be fine. The baby is okay and we'll love a boy or a girl."

"I know but I am still nervous." She said.

"That is normal. But if it is a boy, we are still talking baby names." He said.

"Nope, I told you. I have decided." She insisted.

Before Steve could say anything else, there was a knock at the door and Dr. Morrissey walked in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Borden, good to see you." The tall doctor smiled.

"How does everything look?" Trina asked.

"Looks good, blood pressure is good. Symptoms you are reporting are completely normal. Weight is good." He looked over her chart. "How are the two of you? I see a lot in the papers about your investigations and such. How are you handling that while expecting?"

"I have a gaggle of men who worries over me like a bunch of mother hens." Trina said.

"We do make sure she rests and eats when she is supposed to. Obviously we are all stressed but we make sure she doesn't overdo it." Steve said.

"That is good. A great support system can make pregnancy so much easier." The doctor smiled.

"Anything I need to know?" Trina asked.

"Well you are twenty weeks pregnant, you are halfway home. You have said you haven't felt the baby move yet which is okay, lots of first time mothers don't feel the baby early on. But you will soon. Over the next few weeks, you might start to experience heartburn and indigestion so avoid foods that will trigger that. And you might start to experience leg cramps that will bring you out of your sleep. You might also start having a hard time finding comfortable sleeping positions. Best thing to do is use extra pillows. Place them under your knees or back." Dr. Morrissey smiled.

"So it only gets harder from here?" she asked.

"I am afraid so. But you have handled everything well so far, your husband knows what to expect and is helping you every step of the way. And it sounds like you have a great bunch of people around you who are helping you as well." He smiled. "I will also give you some information on child birth classes. I recommend you take some and Steve, even though you have done this before you should go with her."

"I will, be glad to." Steve smiled.

"Okay, let's see your baby." Dr. Morrissey smiled. "Lay back on the table and get comfortable, the sonogram will take about twenty minutes. Shirt up so I can spread the gel over your abdomen."

Trina laid back on the table, trying to get comfortable and fussed with her paper shirt. Steve pulled up the chair next to her so he could sit beside his wife and still see the baby monitor. Dr. Morrissey spread some clear gel over her abdomen and adjusted his equipment.

"Just relax; I have to check a lot of things on the baby. Make sure everything is developing normally. So just relax and enjoy seeing your baby." Morrissey told her.

Dr. Morrissey turned on the machine and began running the Doppler over her abdomen. They all watched the screen carefully and finally he found the baby.

"There is your baby." The doctor smiled.

"They are moving. Why can't I feel it?" Trina asked.

"You should feel it any time now and as the baby grows more you will feel it more." He explained.

"Steve, can you believe that is in there?" she looked at him in awe.

He chuckled. "Yeah, pretty amazing isn't it?"

"Are they okay? Is it a boy or a girl?" Trina asked.

"Just relax and give me a few minutes." Dr. Morrissey concentrated on the screen.

Trina stayed quiet and watched the screen as long as she could, but the longer the doctor didn't say anything the more anxious she became.

"The baby looks to be developing great. The placenta looks normal, amniotic fluid is normal." Morrissey smiled.

"So everything is okay?" Steve asked.

"Baby looks great. Brain is developing well. Heart looks normal. Diaphragm looks good." Morrissey assured him.

"What a relief, I am so glad they are okay." She smiled at Steve.

"Well what is it? A boy or a girl?" Steve asked.

Dr. Morrissey chuckled. "Seems they don't want to tell us. They have their little legs closed and don't seem to care to move them."

"Is that normal?" Trina asked.

"Very normal. Babies move as they want. This often happens." He said. "But I can still print you out some pictures of the baby. And while I check a few more things I will wait and see if the baby moves."

1130 Hours

Steve and Trina walked together into the Davis station and were surprised to see Seth still sitting at his desk and Jerry was in his office.

"Hey Seth, where is John? And what are you doing here?" Trina asked.

Seth snickered. "John got a call about Karen Angle. And I am here because I wanted to see Little Seth. Did you get pictures?"

"You stayed all morning to see sonogram pictures?" Steve asked.

"Well…that was part of it. I also stayed to help cover since Trina had an appointment today. But where are the pictures? Come on, I want to see my little Cubs fan."

Trina reached into her purse. "Our little Buccos fan is just fine. Doctor said everything is developing normally." She handed Seth the pictures.

"Wow, I can see a nose." Seth smiled. "And there is a foot."

"Yeah at one point they opened their hand a bit and we could see little fingers." Steve said.

"So it is a boy?" Seth looked up.

"We don't know. They had their legs closed and just would not move them so we could see what it is. Dr. Morrissey even tried to gently move the baby…no luck, kept those legs closed." Trina explained. "But the important thing is everything is good and they are healthy."

"It's not even born yet and it is already acting like you." Seth laughed.

"Huh?" she was confused.

"Stubborn, kept their legs closed. Showing they are stubborn and will do things when they are ready." Seth laughed more.

"Oh very funny." She rolled her eyes.

"So he can hear now?" Seth asked.

"Yes and so help me if you turn on that Cubs victory song you won't live long enough to see the end of the World Series." Trina narrowed her eyes.

"What else can he do in there?" Seth asked.

"They can move and grow. That is about the extent of their activities at this point." Steve said.

Seth rolled his office chair over to where Trina was standing. "Hello in there. You look adorable. Just like your Uncle Seth."

"Oh brother." She shook her head.

"I'll make a deal with you, you cheer for the Cubs and drive mommy crazy…and when you turn sixteen, I will buy you a car." Seth told the baby.

"Don't listen to Uncle Seth; he will get you into trouble. Besides, I promised you a huge keg party with all your college buddies when you turn twenty-one if you pee and puke on Uncle Seth every chance you get as a baby." She said.

"Guess daddy is going to be the voice of reason when you get here." Steve said.

"Jerry, I am writing my letter of resignation today. You will have it by 5pm!" John came into the station and went straight to the coffee pot.

"Uh oh, what did Karen do now?" Seth laughed.

"This woman is truly off her rocker. I think she causes chaos just to get attention and try to make Mrs. Angle crazy." John groaned.

"This the Halloween blow-up we have been waiting on?" Trina chuckled.

"Yes, and while I understand her concern about safety because of the murders, she is really being unreasonable just for the sake of being difficult." John sat at his desk.

"She not gonna let the kids go out for Halloween?" Trina asked.

"Oh it is a soap opera now. I got called out to Kurt's workplace because Karen showed up there to fight with him about Halloween. Apparently, Karen was adamant that the kids not go trick-or-treating because she is concerned about the murders. Kurt was annoyed by this because he planned to stay with his kids and only go to houses where he knew people. Well Mrs. Angle came up with a pretty reasonable compromise in my opinion. Her church is doing one of those fall festival things…games, food and such for the kids, and then church members decorate their cars in the parking lots and distribute candy as the kids walk around the parking lot…they call it trunk-or-treat."

"I have heard of those. They are getting pretty popular." Steve said.

"So, Kurt and his wife tell the kids that they will go to the church for Halloween and they will still be able to wear costumes and get candy. They felt it was a good idea as they know everyone at the church, it is a safe environment and the kids still get to enjoy the holiday." John groaned.

"Sounds like a great idea. What was the problem?" Seth asked.

"Karen doesn't want the kids going to that church because it is not her faith. First of all, the festival is open to the community. Second, Kurt has been going to this church with his wife and the kids have been going the days they are with Kurt….which is another tantrum Karen is having."

"Are you kidding me? God don't care about denomination." Trina frowned.

"Which is pretty much what I gently tried pointing out to Karen. As long as the children were being raised in a happy home with good morals, did it matter which church they attended? I even told her that they could be involved with her church and Kurt's and that was acceptable too. I thought she was going to claw me." He drank his coffee. "So after Kurt told her he was taking the kids to the church and she was not going to change his mind, Karen starts screaming she is taking him back to court on religious grounds…..I finally escorted her off the property."

"How can she take him to court on religious grounds? Not like Kurt is taking them to a Satanist church." Seth sighed.

"Forget Karen, here are some pictures of the baby. Doctor says they are fine." Trina handed John the pictures.

"So it is a Little Seth or a Little Johnna?" he asked.

"Since when are we naming it after you?" Trina laughed.

"I have no kids, this is as close to one as I am going to get." John smiled.

"We don't know what it is because it is truly Trina's child and already acting stubborn and kept its legs closed." Seth said.

"So it is a Johnna….acting like a lady and not showing off her business." John chuckled.

"I like how John thinks. My daughter showing early on that she isn't opening her legs for anyone…even the doctor." Steve smiled.

"If it is a girl, Steve ain't gonna let her out of his sights until she is forty." Trina laughed.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Thanks again for all the reviews and feedback. It is truly awesome! Things are picking up in the story. Paisley2 (The thought of Austin with Karen had me rolling on the floor. And while Seth might be going to mania for sure, now I am worried it is just going to be another Triple H spotlighting himself moment like 31. I swear this past Monday I went from jumping up and down to cursing like a sailor!) Batistasprincess (Yes, she has that part under control. And a name picked. LOL) nixystix (When Seth came out this past Monday I started out needing ice because he is hot and ended up needing ice because my BP was raised so high. And my buddy at work just laughed knowing how I am about Seth.) reikat (Austin will be making a few appearances. Glad you enjoyed seeing him. Sorry about Perkins.) carlyrosanna83 (Glad you enjoyed it.) jcott3 (It was Clash of the Champions VIII (had to look it up) that Pillman 'revived' Flair. I seriously crack up every time I see Flair with that bag on his head. And as you can see in this chapter, World Series bets are happening. LOL)_


	26. Halloween Antics

October 28th, 1800 Hours

Steve and Damien walked down the sidewalk after their latest meeting. They had met to once again go over the evidence about the ongoing case and what they were going to say to the mayor over the weekend at the Halloween Festival.

"I think Bischoff will be okay tomorrow. His main focus seems to be hobnobbing with this Lesner guy." Damien said.

"I am still not sure what he thinks we can do that we haven't already tried." Steve said. "There is Jimmy."

"Hey Steve, Naomi sent me over to drop off these paint samples she picked up for Trina. She is over at the resort helping get stuff set up for tomorrow night with Bischoff." Jimmy said.

"How is Trina doing?" Damien asked. "Decided on a name yet?"

"Oh Trina has decided on a name and there is no talking her out of it." Steve looked at Jimmy.

"I didn't think she was gonna watch TV with me and suddenly name the baby!" Jimmy protested.

"Well what is it?" Damien asked.

"Mathias. Mathias Nathaniel Borden." Steve sighed.

"Like the Scorpion King?" Damien asked.

"Like the tribal police chief on 'Longmire'." Steve looked at Jimmy again.

"What was I supposed to do? She was crying and upset because Apollo Creed cheated on his wife. So I suggested we watch something else….I had been catching up on Longmire and guess she liked the name." Jimmy explained.

"I don't even know why she likes the guy. The few episodes I have watched with her, he is a jerk." Steve shook his head.

"If it makes you feel better, in the later seasons he grows and is more likable. He is still a bit of a jerk but you see why he acts that way and that he is trying his best under horrible circumstances. I mean the previous tribal police chief was taking bribes and involved in illegal stuff so when Mathias took over he has a hard time getting people to take him serious or trust him. And the county police don't help him like they should." Jimmy offered.

"Are you and Trina reading from a script? She said nearly the same thing along with something about how the show demonstrates many ongoing struggles of Native Americans. She is so moved, if she wasn't pregnant I think she would go protest the pipeline." Steve said.

"Is the name that bad?" Damien chuckled.

"I am hoping to talk her out of it, but she really seems determined on this one." Steve said as they walked into the Davis station.

As they stepped inside, they stopped short to watch the scene in front of them. Trina was sitting at her desk with her feet up on a chair, working on paperwork. She was wearing a white shirt that Steve had never seen before. Seth was sitting on the floor beside her, drawing with markers on the shirt over her baby bump. He looked to be drawing a pumpkin while talking to the baby. Layfield sat at his desk watching them was a cross between amusement and exasperation.

"What are you guys doing?" Steve asked.

"Because the Cubs have managed to hang in the World Series this long, I lost a bet. So Seth gets to dress the baby in its first Halloween costume." Trina said without looking up.

"Trina wouldn't let me paint a pumpkin on the baby, so I decided to get a shirt and draw on it. This way she can keep it and add it to the baby's keepsakes. And since I am dressing Little Seth up, I am telling him the Charlie Brown great pumpkin story." Seth explained.

"I love coming here. Always something funny to see." Damien chuckled.

"If it was anyone else, it would be strange." Steve laughed as they walked over to join them. "At least this isn't as bad as when she made him listen to 90's boybands all day."

"She didn't?" Damien chuckled. "Why?"

"We have been betting on every game of the World Series. Well before one of the games it was mentioned that the last time the Indians were in the World Series, Hanson sang the national anthem. I got inspired." She winked.

"That was torture. All day I was listening to Hanson, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees…she even snuck in some New Kids on the Block." Seth groaned. "Now excuse me, I am telling Little Seth a story."

"Well go ahead. You are his crazy uncle after all." Trina chuckled.

"And despite sitting in the pumpkin patch all night and the Great Pumpkin never arriving, Linus tells Charlie Brown that he believes the Great Pumpkin will arrive next year and vows to wait on him again." Seth tells the baby while drawing leaves on the pumpkin.

"Why are you telling the baby a story?" Damien asked.

"He can hear in there now. I want him to know my voice. Besides, every kid needs to watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special. He can't watch this year so I am telling him the story." Seth smiled. "I am bonding with him."

"I talk to him too. I can't even rip on Seth for this one." Steve chuckled.

"So are we all ready for tomorrow night?" John asked.

"Yes, I have informed Bischoff that we are continuing to investigate the snuff films angle, that we are working with the Kentucky authorities about the murder of TJ Perkins and that these murders are our top priority. Hopefully, he doesn't corner anyone tomorrow and stays busy following around this MMA gorilla." Damien said.

"I am looking forward to this. An old fashioned Halloween festival….sounds like fun." Jimmy said. "Naomi said there is even gonna be hayrides."

"Hear that Little Seth, your first hayride." Seth told the baby. "And your costume is all done."

Trina looked down. "That is kinda cute. At least you didn't dress him up as something Cubs."

"Nah, it is Halloween." Seth smiled.

"You keep calling it 'him'. You realize it could be a girl. The sonogram couldn't tell gender." John reminded them.

"You know, it must be a girl. If it was a boy and anything like his daddy, trust me…we'd have seen it." Trina smirked.

"Trinvilla!" Steve groaned.

"Oh please, I am bragging on you. Enjoy it." Trina giggled.

"I am gonna move my office here." Damien laughed.

"I want some pictures of Little Seth in his costume." Seth said.

"Nae will want to see this too." Jimmy said.

"Oh fine, it is kinda a cute thing. Let's take a few pictures. Baby's first Halloween." Trina said.

"The things my kids get into." John groaned.

"It is never boring here, you should love it." Damien said.

October 29th, 1900 Hours

"Wow, look how great they have everything decorated. Bischoff must've really went all out." Trina said as they walked towards the Halloween Festival on the grounds of the Canaan Valley Resort.

"Oh he did. He has been planning this for months. Election year don't you know." Naomi rolled her eyes. "But at least we get a fun evening out of it. He has invited all county employees and business owners."

"Looks like quite a big crowd." Seth said.

"You warm enough? I don't want you catching a cold." Steve asked his wife.

"It isn't that cold and luckily your hoodie fits over the baby so I am good to go." She smiled.

They walked through the entrance made with bales of hay, scarecrows and cornstalks. There were many booths and activities set up, all with a Halloween or fall theme.

"Oh that apple cider looks good. I am gonna go grab a cup." Trina noticed Bray's church had a booth set up selling hot apple cider.

"I'll go with you." Naomi said.

The guys watched the girls go over to buy their cider. And looked around at some of the other activities set up.

"Did you mention to Trina what Summer said this morning?" Jimmy asked.

"No, because I figured if I did and then she ran into her here, Trina would drown her in the bobbing for apples tub." Steve said.

"What happened?" Seth asked.

"Summer, who is still trying to get in Jey's pants, comes over to our desks to bring some folders as we were talking about Trina still insisting on naming the baby Mathias. Summer hears this and asks if Steve is going to get a vasectomy." Jimmy explains.

"What the hell?" Seth raised his eyebrows.

"That was pretty much our reaction and when Steve asked her why he would do that, she proceeds to say that one accident at his age was enough." Jimmy said.

"That woman has all the class of a cheap hooker at the opera." Seth said.

"There is a reason Judy Martin calls her 'slutzilla'." Jey said.

"She might be trying to get Jey, but she is so jealous that Steve is with Trina she could be a frog. And when she found out Trina was pregnant, I thought she was going to spit fire." Jimmy said.

"Wonder where our dear mayor is?" Jey looked around.

"Probably ass-kissing the big shots." Seth said.

"What is Bray doing?" Jimmy looked over where Bray was rubbing Trina's baby bump.

"Who knows? I learned when my first wife was pregnant that everyone wants to rub baby bumps. Trina is a pretty good sport about it." Steve shrugged.

The girls made their way back over to them carrying their cups of hot cider.

"Bray is so funny. He said the baby was awake." Trina chuckled.

"That sounds like something he would say." Seth shook his head.

"So what do we want to do first?" Jimmy asked.

"They have a haunted corn maze set up." Trina said.

"Are you sure about that? Those type things usually have signs up saying not to do it if you are pregnant." Jey said.

"Yeah for women that scare easily." Trina rolled her eyes as they started walking.

"Trina watched so many horror movies this month, she could probably scare Freddy Kruger." Steve wrapped an arm around her.

"Didn't he possess a fetus or something in one of those movies?" Seth asked.

"Oh way to go, give her something else to worry about." Naomi smacked his arm.

Trina laughed. "I saw that movie years ago. Freddy was haunting the baby's dreams or something while it was in the womb. I highly doubt Freddy is after my baby."

"Oh great, there is Laurenitis. Quick, keep walking before he stops us to talk." Jimmy hurried them along.

"But Brie is expecting too. I wanted to see Nikki complaining and crying as usual that her meal ticket won't marry her." Trina laughed. "Oh look, there is Roman." She waved.

"Looks like the corn maze thing is up here. Trina, you go into labor I am singing the Cubs song the entire time you are in the delivery room." Seth told her.

"Forget that bullshit! I will cross my legs and hold him in there." Trina laughed.

The group walked into the corn maze and began following the path. They rounded a corner and came upon several teenagers holding farm equipment and standing over a 'dead' adult.

"Oh look, it's the children of the corn." Trina smiled.

"Is that Terry Taylor pretending to be dead?" Jimmy asked.

"Looks like it." Jey said.

"This must be his drama students from the high school." Trina said.

They continued walking past the children of the corn scene and rounded another corner. They came upon a group of children mannequins.

"What is that supposed to be?" Seth asked.

"Looks like black eyed children…stories about them have gotten very popular." Trina walked over to the mannequins. She leaned down close for a closer look. "Supposedly they will try to get into your house or car."

"They look creepy as hell." Naomi said.

"That is the point. But these are just dummies." Trina said.

Suddenly one of the children reached up and grabbed Trina's arm. She screamed and jumped back as the 'child', which was really a midget standing among the mannequins, laughed and ran off into the corn.

"What the fuck?" Seth came over with Steve for a closer look.

"That was a midget. Where the hell did Bischoff find a midget?" Trina tried to slow her heartbeat.

Seth nudged the other mannequins to make sure they were fake. "They must've had him stand still among the dummies to startle people."

"Hate to admit it, but they got me." She leaned against Steve.

"Let's go before that midget comes back. They give me the creeps." Naomi said.

The group quickly walked away from the black-eyed children and around the next corner. They didn't see anything and kept walking. Suddenly, they heard chainsaw roar to life. A man in a mask and overalls came out of the corn carrying a chainsaw.

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre….it is always in these things." Trina said.

"Who is that?" Jey asked.

"Not sure, but the real Leatherface was a lot taller." Trina said.

"Come on, that noise is a bit loud." Steve nudged her along.

As they turned the next corner, they saw someone dressed as slenderman in a suit with a white mask covering their face.

"Dr. Morrissey, I didn't think you would be here." Trina smiled.

"This guy is going to deliver Little Seth?" Seth asked.

"Sure, who else around here would be that tall?" she shrugged.

Slenderman shrugged and stepped back into the corn and let the group walk past them.

"Is he a good doctor?" Seth looked back again.

"He is a wonderful doctor. Best man ever to see my crotch besides Steve." Trina said making Naomi laugh.

"You say the craziest things." Steve chuckled.

As they rounded the next corner, they saw the exit.

"See, that was fun." Trina said.

"Wasn't bad, but I am still curious who was Leatherface." Jey said.

"Oh look, there is Bischoff with Mr. MMA." Jimmy said.

Before they could walk the other direction, Bischoff spotted them and began leading Lesner over towards them. They braced themselves to be polite and put up with Bischoff's nonsense.

"Mr. Lesner, here are some special guests I want you to meet. This is some of Tucker County's finest." Bischoff said with all the enthusiasm of a used car salesman. "County Detective Steve Borden, his wife Trina who is a Davis officer and as you can see they are expecting a new addition."

"Nice to meet you. We have heard a lot about you in the news." Steve shook his hand.

"And the twins are Jimmy and Jey Uso, officers for the Parsons department. And Seth Rollins who is an officer with Trina in Davis. And the other lovely lady is Naomi Knight. She is engaged to Jimmy and is on the town council. She helped me organize all this." Bischoff was smiling big enough to crack his face.

"It is nice to see some real heroes for a change." Lesner said. "I get a bit tired of just meeting celebrities and millionaires."

"We have some of the best officers around. Despite having small departments, they are all well trained and dedicated. Last year they solved two serial murder cases." Bischoff said.

"No kidding. That is great." Lesner smiled.

The group of friends looked at each other, not sure what to say while Bischoff was bragging, obviously trying to get Lesner to spend more time visiting Tucker County.

"I saw something in the newspaper about another big murder case in the area. I assume you guys are working on that?" Lesner asked.

"We are, it has fallen in our jurisdiction." Seth said.

"Will you excuse us? I wanted to take my wife on the hayride." Steve said.

"Sure thing, nice to meet you." Lesner said.

The group politely made their leave and continued walking through the festival.

"Can you believe Bischoff? He sounded like we were the best police in the state; meanwhile he is driving us up the wall over this case, just like he did the last two." Seth rolled his eyes.

"He was playing big shot." Naomi sighed.

"Hey, it's the reason I am the most popular mechanic in the county." Dean Ambrose suddenly appeared hugging Trina.

"Hi Dean, how are you?" Trina chuckled. "Have you been drinking?"

"Oh just a dozen or so. There is an Oktoberfest area set up." Dean grinned. "But from the looks of you, you can't go to that. How did this happen?"

"How do you think?" Seth laughed.

Dean turned his head thoughtfully. "Damn, Borden you don't waste any time. Congrats man!" he slapped Steve's shoulder.

"Thanks, I think." Steve said.

"Then again, I understand. If I was a little swimmer, I'd wanna get up inside Trina too." Dean laughed. "You know what I mean."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Trina chuckled. "Which is nice when you are starting to feel fat."

"Nah, you two are two of the cutest girls here. Have you seen Lesner's wife? I am not sure if she is trying to be a sexy grandma or a MILF but it isn't working for her. Nikki is off somewhere pouting because she is tired of Brie getting so much attention. And while I love Leilani, she is as old as my mother." Dean said.

"Sweetie, drink a few coffees before you accidentally go home with Summer." Naomi said.

"Nah, Seth's mom is hotter. Tell her I said hi." Dean winked. "I am off to bob for apples."

They watched Dean make his way to where people were bobbing for apples. Trina laughed and wrapped her arm around Seth. "If Mrs. R has a mid-life crisis, Dean could be your new daddy."

"You are so not funny." Seth rolled his eyes.

"I could see Dean as a great step-dad." Naomi said.

"Yeah, I can see Thanksgiving dinner now. Dean carving the turkey, sitting with Seth to watch football." Trina giggled.

"I am gonna throw up on you two." Seth glared.

"Girls, be nice." Jimmy laughed.

2100 Hours

"I haven't been on a hayride since college." Trina said as they stood waiting for the tractor to pull the wagon up to the loading area.

"This could be fun. At least there won't be anything jumping out at us." Jey said.

"I wish they had done a haunted hayride. That would be fun too." Naomi said.

"I saw a haunted house set up here." Seth said.

"Really?" the girls said together.

"Guess we know what we are doing." Jimmy chuckled and nudged Steve.

"Yeah, hard to say no to our girls." Steve chuckled.

"You think we're bad, wait until your daughter is born." Naomi piped up.

"Must be their next baby, because this baby is Little Seth." Seth told her.

"You mean Baby Mathias." Trina said.

"You and that name." Steve groaned.

"Well he is kinda cute for a short guy." Naomi said about the TV character.

"Oh he is sexy…all that hair and that cocky smirk." Trina said.

"And to think we let these two out of the house unsupervised." Jimmy chuckled.

The tractor finally pulled up with the wagon full of hay. They carefully climbed on board the wagon, Steve helping Trina get settled. She sat between his knees, leaning back against him. Jimmy and Naomi sat next to them, while Seth and Jey sat across from them.

"How far does thing go?" Jey asked.

"I think the sign said that the hayride is thirty minutes long." Naomi said.

"Sounds nice." Trina snuggled against Steve.

"Newlyweds." Seth groaned.

The wagon was full of people, so the tractor pulled off and began down the marked off path through the woods.

"I am so glad we came out to this. This is so nice." Trina nuzzled against Steve.

"It is a nice change from all the stuff that has been going on." He agreed.

"Naomi, why are you taking pictures?" Seth asked.

They looked over to see Naomi had her phone out and was snapping pictures.

"Baby's first hayride." Naomi said.

"Are all women like this when their best friend is pregnant?" Seth asked. "I mean what next, baby's first shopping trip for a Thanksgiving turkey?"

"Be quiet or I won't do my usual holiday baking this year." Trina told him.

"No need to get vicious." Seth chuckled.

Trina suddenly got a strange look on her face and sat up.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

She didn't answer but looked down.

"Trina?" Jey asked.

"The baby is moving. I mean I can feel them moving." She rubbed her baby bump.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"Yes, it's those little flutter things the doctor told me about." She smiled.

"Can we feel it?" Jimmy asked.

"No, it is not strong enough for that yet. I can just feel flutters. It will be a few weeks yet before you can feel them." She said.

"Little Seth is moving and mommy can feel it. That means you will feel him celebrating the Cubs winning the World Series." Seth smiled.

"Not even the Indians can blow their lead with the series headed back to Cleveland." Trina said.

"If the Cubs win, you have to name him Seth." Seth told her.

"No, his name is Mathias." Trina rolled her eyes.

"You are not going to give up on that are you?" Steve sighed.

"I looked it up and it is a variation of a biblical name." Trina said. "And there was a King Mathias I of Hungary."

"Just what everyone looks for when naming their son." Jimmy chuckled.

"Hey you are the one that introduced her to this tribal police guy to start with." Steve said.

"Okay, and the Mathias on there is a good guy. I mean I know he doesn't come off that way at first but he is. He takes care of his sister who is a recovering drug addict. He is really trying to help the Cheyenne people, just goes about it in the wrong way sometimes, but honestly he has no other choice considering the situation he is stuck in." she said.

"He is a pretty good guy in season five." Naomi said.

"If Steve agrees to this name, will you cheer for the Cubs?" Seth asked.

"Hell no. Why would you ask that?" Trina looked at him.

"Well if you would, I would help you talk Steve into this name." Seth winked.

"Now I have heard everything." She laughed.

"I still say it is a girl and you need to decide on a girl name." Jimmy said.

"We can't agree on any girl names." Steve said. "We can't even come up with a maybe list of girl names."

"You have a track record of making boys." Trina sat back against him.

"I am glad you can feel them now, I know how much you wanted to." Steve kissed her.

"It is a pretty amazing thing."

"Guess Bray was right, the baby was awake." Naomi said.

"Yeah…wonder how…oh who knows. He just knows things." Trina shrugged.

2230 Hours

"It is getting late. I think I am ready to head home." Naomi said.

"Yeah and I got a few horror movies I can watch tonight." Trina giggled.

"Baby, I love you but those movies are pretty much all the same." Steve said.

"That's true and everyone knows it, but I do like some of them. Besides, it is Halloween time and at least the horror on the TV is fake. Around here you never know anymore." Trina leaned against him.

"I hate to admit it, but this was one of Bischoff's better ideas." Seth said.

"Yeah, I am glad he decided to do this…even if he is just pandering for votes." Bischoff said.

"Where is mayor kiss-ass?" Jimmy looked around.

"Last I saw him, he was with Steroid Lesner and Laurenitis." Naomi said.

"Twenty bucks says that Lesner never shows up around here again. We don't have any way of making him money and there are much more glamourous resorts to spend holidays and weekends at." Jey said.

"I am so happy my little girl is in there moving." Naomi hugged Trina's baby bump.

"That's my little man." Seth told her.

"You guys are so crazy." Steve chuckled.

"It is a good thing. This baby already has so many people who loves them and looks out for them. Makes me hurt for those women who are alone, or babies that are born and no one wants them." Trina said.

"What is going on in the parking lot?" Jimmy asked as they walked out of the festival.

They looked into the parking lot area and saw a crowd of people with signs. As they got closer, they could see it was one of the local vigilante groups, apparently protesting the mayor hosting this event while a murderer is on the loose.

"Oh Bischoff is going to love this. He is in there with Mr. Moneybags and trying to make this area sound so great…meanwhile out here we have the citizens protesting." Trina sighed.

"At least they don't seem to have turned violent. They are holding signs and Austin is giving speeches." Jey said.

"Let's just avoid them. I do not want my evening spoiled. And looking at Austin makes me wanna puke. Asshole wife beater." Trina said.

"Let's get the girls out of here. That crowd see cops they might get stupid." Jimmy said.

"I don't think the citizens of the area would actually harm us." Naomi said.

"Just the same, no one wants to put up with their bullshit." Seth said.

They quietly hurried to their vehicles, waving to each other as they climbed inside. Steve started the truck and followed Jimmy and Naomi out of the parking lot.

"You okay?" Steve looked over at Trina.

"I just never thought Tucker County would turn into this type of place. Murders, people afraid and protesting their own civil servants." She sighed.

"Things are changing everywhere. I hope that when this case is over, things calm down again. I like this place a lot better when I don't have to worry about my wife driving to the supermarket." Steve agreed.

"Let's just go home. This has been a great evening." She reached for his hand.

"It has been fun." He smiled.

2345 Hours

Trina walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower, expecting to see Steve in the bedroom watching one of Jason movies that she had put on before she jumped in the shower. Instead, she found the room empty and Jack waiting for her. She frowned and walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She found Steve sitting in the kitchen nursing a beer.

"Baby, something wrong?" she asked.

"Just my son driving me insane." He looked up at her.

She sat down across from him. "Something with Steven?"

"I just called him to check in. I mentioned Thanksgiving is coming up and he said he wants to spend it with his mother. So I mentioned Christmas and New Year's….and he said that it might be best for him to spend the holidays with his mom this year." Steve sighed.

"Did he give you a reason?" she rubbed his hand.

"He said that he thinks having guests would be too stressful for you."

"That isn't true. I want the boys to come and spend time with us. And spend time with the baby, even if it is still in the womb." Trina assured him. "Do you think it would help if I called him?"

"No, he seems pretty set in his decision. But Garret wants to come for Thanksgiving and New Year's. So I guess having two of my three kids here isn't terrible." He sighed again.

"I'm sorry. I feel like this is my fault."

"How is it your fault?" he frowned.

"Because I got pregnant."

"We got a surprise; it is no one's fault. I am just going to give him time, what else can I do? I love my son, but he just has to accept that this baby is going to happen whether he likes it or not." Steve said.

"I just wish there was something more I could do." Trina said.

"Just take care of the little one." Steve pulled her over to his lap. "He still moving?"

"Not that I can feel. I am glad that I finally got to feel him. It just feels so amazing." Trina said.

"I know, your face just lit up like never before." He smiled. "Is your movie on?"

"Yeah, you wanna watch it with me? It is one that got horrible reviews." She giggled.

"Then why watch it?" he asked but stood up none-the-less.

"It is part of the tradition of watching a few bad slasher flicks every Halloween." She leaned on him.

"And which one is this?" he laughed.

"I dunno, Jason eight or nine. The one where they end up in New York City. It got ripped because they labeled it as taking place in New York but only a few minutes of it does." She rolled her eyes. "If they had labelled it 'Jason on a boat', it would've made more sense."

"You are so funny. That is one thing I love about being married to you. It is never boring." He laughed as they climbed the stairs.

"Well you keep me very happy. And I am sillier when I am happy." She kissed his cheek.

"Come on, let's take Junior to watch Jason on a boat."

"You mean take Mathias to watch Jason on a boat."

"You and that name." Steve groaned as they walked into the bedroom.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _I got inspired and enjoyed the reviews so much that I cranked out another chapter. This was a bit fun to break up all the seriousness going on in the story. Nixystix (LOL, lately I am so annoyed with Triple H that thinking of Seth makes my BP go up for all the wrong reasons.) Batistasprincess (I am so glad you like it, a few more big breaks and stuff coming soon.) reikat (It is nice of you to spend time with your friend. I have minor surgery coming up, so I am sure they appreciate it. And I disagree about mania. I see Triple H winning (because he would never allow himself to lose on such a grand stage…how it happened last year baffles me except they owed Reigns after the mess that was 31), they will feud all summer and Seth will finally win at Summerslam which while a big event is less glamorous than mania and Hunter's ego would allow him to lose there. Sorry went off on a tangent. And more Austin will be coming.) jcott3 (Glad you are keeping up with the murders and evidence, it will help you solve this. And I saw Neville as a young detective, eager for training. John would never leave, Karen just drives him nuts. And if you watch clash 8, at the very end you see Pillman out there and the commentators saying that he 'revived' Flair and did CPR. I still crack up every time.) carlyrosanna83 (Oh if Sting comes out to interfere in any match at mania, I will be on the floor because I will scream, pee my pants and pass out…probably in that order, LOL.)_


	27. After Halloween

November 3rd, 0800 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station and stopped when he saw Trina's desk had been decorated in red and blue streamers, balloons and confetti with Cubs logos everywhere. He chuckled and looked over at Seth who was wearing a Cubs hat.

"She is going to strangle you. She is going to choke the life out of you with her bare hands." Steve said.

"And I am going to help her hide your body." Jerry stepped out of his office.

Steve looked through the window and saw the chief's desk had similar decorations on it. Steve laughed more.

"So where is Trina? I have been waiting a year to see her when the Cubs win a World Series." Seth said.

"She went to a pre-natal yoga class. She will be in later." Steve said.

"So how did she handle the game last night? I am surprised she didn't go into labor when it went into extra innings." Seth laughed.

"I didn't let her watch it. I figured for the sake of her blood pressure and sanity I would ban it from the house." Steve sat down.

"That was probably a smart decision." Jerry agreed.

"So instead we watched the 50th CMA Awards….not sure that was the better choice, but she mostly had a good time." Steve laughed.

"I heard about them, apparently everybody is talking about them. All the legends there and such." Jerry said.

"Oh it was an interesting show, especially watching and listening to Trina's reactions." Steve laughed.

"What did she do? I figured she would be thrilled at them honoring Dolly Parton." Seth said. "My mom called me to tell me about that."

"Well there was the opening in which they did a medley of country music legends. She was irate they let Vince Gill, who she hates, sing a Merle Haggard song…although in her defense he didn't do a very good job. His voice is too high to sing Haggard. And the fact that I know this says how much music she listens to around the house." Steve laughed. "She loves Brad Paisley so she was all happy he was singing with some of her other favorites, Roy Clark, Charley Pride. And when they brought out Alabama, I thought she was going to get up and dance."

"Sounds like her." Seth chuckled.

"But the moment that even I admit stole the show was at the end of the medley when they brought out Randy Travis, who despite still recovering from a massive stroke managed to sing the last word of his song they featured." Steve said. "The man sings one word and she cries for twenty minutes."

"Pregnancy will do that." Jerry said.

"I don't think this was pregnancy. I think she was just that touched. She proceeded to tell me about listening to him as a child and singing his songs to her doll." Steve smiled.

"So what brings you by this morning?" Seth asked.

"I got a call from Pillman late last night. He will be up later this week to hook up some experimental equipment that his FBI friend is letting him borrow to help trace calls should we get anymore." Steve said.

"How goes investigating the snuff films angle?" Jerry asked.

"I spoke to some of our informants and none of them have heard about anyone in the area selling or buying snuff films." Steve said. "And no one has heard anything about any high tech equipment like Pillman has talked about."

"But it seems to be the only thing that makes sense. Our victims show signs of torture which would be included in such films." Seth said.

"We will stay with it. If nothing else, it gives us something to tell Bischoff who is fit to be tied that Austin had that vigilante group protesting the Halloween Festival." Jerry sighed.

1000 Hours

Trina walked into the station, looked at her desk, saw Seth smiling at his desk and noticed Jerry's desk was decorated as well.

"Seth Rollins I hope you went to church this morning because I am about to kill you." Trina glared.

"Ready for the song?" Seth smirked.

"You play that song and I swear I will scream over it so Baby Mathias can't hear it." Trina narrowed her eyes.

"Seth, take it easy on her. She is pregnant." John rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe I am bringing a baby into a world where the Cubs are champions." Trina groaned.

"And you know what that means?" Seth laughed.

"How in the hell did Cleveland manage to blow a 3-1 game lead? Sports as I know it is over." She collapsed into her chair.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Seth laughed more.

"Just make sure it is big enough to fit over the baby." She moved over and laid her head on John's desk.

"Why are you laying on my desk?" John chuckled.

"I am not touching that mess on mine." She kept her head down.

"And what needs to be big enough to fit over the baby?" John asked.

"Because the Cubs won the World Series, Trina has to wear a Cubs hoodie for all the Christmas festivities." Seth grinned. "And I insisted on ordering it so I can get one very obviously Cubs, not something with a small logo over the heart."

"You two spend way too much time together." John said.

"And I will have a list of cookies I want too." Seth said.

"You get cookies out of this too?" John asked. "Damn, I should've bet on this."

"I get cookies at Christmas. For thanksgiving I get pies." Seth grinned.

"Damn Trina, why did you bet so much?"

She looked up. "I didn't think the Indians could blow a 3-1 game lead! How does that happen? Not even Ricky Vaughn, Pedro Cerrano, Willie Mays Hayes and Roger Dorn could blow a 3-1 game lead!" Trina exclaimed.

"The best part of all this….all the holiday photos and baby's first Christmas…in a Cubs hoodie!" Seth chuckled.

"Is it too late to become Jewish? How about a Buddhist?" Trina groaned and laid her head back down.

"Have you two ever thought of trying to act normal?" John raised an eyebrow.

"And miss moments like this?" Seth asked.

Jerry stepped out of his office and looked at Trina with her head down.

"Trina are you sick?" he asked.

"Only of Seth and that damn baseball team." She looked up. "By the way, you cheer for people that have ruined my sports life! I haven't been this upset about sports since the Steelers won the one for the thumb."

"I need you guys to get out to the old Anderson cemetery. Ron Garvin called in. He says he found a dead male out there." Jerry sighed. "Seth, you mind going with them?"

"Not a problem. But where is this cemetery?" Seth frowned.

"Way out in the middle of the woods. It is an old cemetery from the 1800's and hasn't had anyone buried there since 1910. It is kept up by some historical society but other than that people rarely go out there." Jerry said. "Trina you up to this?"

"I am fine. Besides, I actually know where this cemetery is. Dad took me out there a few times while hiking." She said. "Let's get going."

1045 Hours

John pulled the SUV off the side of the road near a small path mostly used for ATV's in recent times. Trina was on her cell phone with Steve directing him where to go since the cemetery was in a remote location. Seth was texting Dolph to instruct him how to get there. John saw Ron Garvin waiting for them. He jumped out of the SUV to go speak to him.

"Good morning Ron. Talk to me about why you called us out here. What is going on?" John asked him.

"I went out to check my deer stand, make sure everything is ready for hunting season. My stand is out past the old cemetery. As I was walking past, I noticed something in the graveyard. At first I thought it was a doll or some kind of Halloween prank." He explained. "But then I remembered all the murders around here lately and decided to check it out. It was a naked male…and it looked like he had been displayed. I don't know how to explain it. There was decorations around him for Halloween or something."

"It's okay. You did right by calling us out here. Did you touch anything at the cemetery?" John asked.

"No, not even the body. It was obvious he was dead." Ron said.

"Okay, we will need a little more information from you. But we will take things from here. Just try to calm yourself." Layfield told him.

Steve pulled up and parked behind the SUV and went to help Trina unload equipment. He was dreading finding another body on top of all the negative attention the police were already getting and the public panic.

"You carry only the light stuff. Dr. Morrissey says you are not to lift more than ten pounds." Steve reminded her.

"I am fine. I left the heavy stuff for you men." Trina assured him.

Seth joined them. "Dolph will be here in a few minutes. We better get up there."

"Trina, you are deep in thought. I know that look." Steve looked at his wife.

"This is a remote, out of the way cemetery that even many locals don't know about anymore because it is so outdated. How did someone find this place to leave a dead body?" she asked.

"We haven't been up there yet. We don't know what we have. Could be a natural death or suicide. Don't get ahead of yourself." Steve said.

Trina nodded as they gathered their bags of equipment and began walking up the ATV path. They heard Dolph pull in and John go to help him with his ME equipment. Trina led the way as she had been to the cemetery before, but it had been years. She walked up the trail with Steve and Seth following her. She stopped and looked around.

"Over this way." She pointed to the right.

There was a less cleared path but still walkable to the right and she led them down it. They came upon the small cemetery. It was fenced in and mowed but other than that, it was abandoned. The VFW had placed flags on the graves of a few civil war veterans and that was the only decorations in the entire place.

They could immediately spot a dead body lying out on one of the graves. They carefully walked through the old gate and into the cemetery. The three made their way over to where the body was. A naked male was laid out in front of an old tombstone. His arms were crossed over his chest as if he was prepared for burial. Artificial black roses were placed on the grave along with two plastic skulls. There was also a decorative sign reading 'Happy Halloween' leaning against the stone.

"Okay, this just a few days after Halloween is very creepy." Seth broke the silence.

"I don't recognize him." Trina looked at the Caucasian male with long hair and facial hair.

"Who decorated this grave? It is morbid." Steve frowned. "Trina, you do the crime scene pictures. Seth, search the cemetery and outside of the fence looking for any evidence."

Trina began unpacking the camera while Steve began checking around the grave that had become a crime scene. He stopped and looked around a second time.

"Something strange here. Make sure you get pictures of this." Steve pointed to a hole in the ground.

Trina looked down. "An animal hole?"

"I don't think that is what this is. There are four of them. Two on each side of the grave. About six feet apart." Steve explained.

Dolph and John walked through the gates of the cemetery and over to where the others were standing.

"Is this some kind of prank?" John frowned.

"Maybe a prank gone too far, but this guy is dead." Steve sighed.

"I better get started on a field exam and see what I can find out. This is a big guy, I will need help getting him out of these woods." Dolph sighed.

Trina began snapping pictures of the scene. "Make sure we carefully bag those decorations. I would say they were purposefully left here. I doubt the person buried here has anyone decorating his grave considering the date of death on the stone is 1892."

"Could this be some kind of cult ritual?" John asked.

"I don't know. Bray swears we don't have that type of stuff around here." Trina snapped off more pictures.

"Maybe a Halloween prank or something. It is just so weird." John shook his head.

Dolph took out his mini tape recorder and began recording what he found in his field exam of the deceased male.

"Deceased male, caucasion. Approximately six feet, seven to nine inches tall. Long hair, facial hair. Approximately 280 pounds." Dolph said into the recorder. "Deceased has various tattoos on left arm, chest, right shoulder and leg."

"His hands and fingernails are filthy." Steve said.

"Deceased has dirt under his nails and a few nails appear to be crudely broken. Wrists and ankles show bruising possibly from being restrained. White froth dried around the mouth. Bruises and marks around the neck, possibly from a ligature." Dolph said into the recorder.

"Look, it seems like someone pulled up a few clods of dirt." John noticed.

Steve looked at John. "Help me measure a few things. I have a theory."

"There appears to be some bruising to the abdomen. Both Achilles tendons appear to have been severed." Dolph said.

"Do you have a time of death?" Trina asked as the men measured along the ground.

"With the temperature drop, hard to say. He doesn't show much sign of decay but the body is bloated and breaking down. I would guess he has been dead at least seventy two hours." Dolph said. "And he was either killed here or placed her immediately after death. Lividity is consistent with the position he is now in."

"Halloween. Just what we need, a real life horror movie." Trina sighed.

"Let me run this by you." Steve spoke up from where he and John were measuring. "These holes are from stakes or poles, something was used to tie the victim to the ground. That would account for the marks on his wrists and ankles. With his tendons cut, his legs would've been virtually useless. And the clods of dirt are pulled up where his hands would've been, which is why his hands and nails are dirty."

"Detective Borden at his best." Trina said. "That is a very good theory."

"Which means someone brought this guy out here, tied him down, killed him, posed him and left." John frowned.

"A Halloween snuff film." Steve said. "That would explain the cemetery location and the decorations."

"Yes it would, but this is such a remote spot. How would they know it was here?" Dolph asked.

"Questions that we need to answer. Can you tell a cause of death?" Steve asked.

"Nothing conclusive but from the marks on the neck, froth around the mouth….I am willing to guess he was strangled at some point." Dolph said.

"How in the world did they get this guy out here? It is a bit of a hike to get here. And he is a big guy. And his feet are clean." Trina said.

"He could've been walked out here in shoes. Or brought tied to a wheelchair. At this point, I would believe it if someone told me a Jedi moved him using the force." Dolph said.

"Well, let's get him loaded up and to the morgue. Trina, finish the pictures and glove up to gather the decorations." Steve told her.

"Yeah, I am almost finished with photos." Trina sighed.

1700 Hours

Trina met Steve outside the morgue. Dolph had called them saying he had the early autopsy results and wanted to meet with them.

"How are you holding up?" Steve asked her as they walked in.

"Not bad, John brought me lunch. We let Seth go home to get some sleep before nightshift. Baby Mathias is moving a lot today." She said.

"I can't wait for him to get big enough I can feel it." Steve smiled.

"I hope Dolph has something for us." She said.

"Dolph is the best, I am sure he is on it." Steve said as they walked into the exam room.

Dolph looked up from where he was looking at x-rays from the deceased male that was lying under a sheet on the table.

"What do you have for us?" Trina asked.

"This one is interesting. He was definitely murdered." Dolph sighed. "I got his prints for you to send to Charleston."

"So what do you know about him?" Steve asked.

"Well, I don't think he was a street person. He has good teeth, has had dental work including fillings. No track marks or signs of drug use. I can conclusively he is six feet eight inches tall. He weighs approximately 180 pounds. Based on his bones, I would say that he is 30 to 35 years old." Dolph said. "I also noted his tattoos. He has several that seem to be in memorial to people."

"Cause of death?" Trina asked.

"This is where it gets strange. I ran a routine tox screen on him. He had been heavily sedated. My guess is whoever took him out to that graveyard did so to make him less combative." Dolph said.

"Oh what next?" Trina sighed.

"The marks on his wrists and ankles are similar to the rope marks in our other cases so I am willing to bet he was killed by the same person." Dolph said.

"What did kill him?" Steve asked.

"He was strangled, slowly. His lungs and mouth have white froth in them. I was curious as to why his tongue wasn't protruding from his mouth. His tongue has been cut out." Dolph frowned. "He also has broken ribs and the damage to his chest….something heavy on his chest for an extended period of time."

"The weight of whoever strangled him?" Steve asked.

"Possible depending on the size of the person. Or it could've been something else." Dolph said. "He appears to have been cleaned up a bit, very little blood on him but there was some under him at the crime scene."

"Bischoff contacted you yet?" Steve asked.

"No, but the sheriff did. He is trying to hold Bischoff at bay for as long as he can." Dolph said.

"Okay, let us know if you find anything else out. I am off to deal with the sheriff dealing with Bischoff." Steve said.

"Get me some pictures of his tattoos, I will include them in his profile. Someone might recognize them." Trina said.

"I will email them to you." Dolph said. "Might be able to trace the names in some of them and find a lead as well."

"Good idea, I will try that." She agreed.

1830 Hours

Seth walked into the Davis Station to find Trina working away at her desk, typing on her laptop while Jerry was in his office on the phone. Jerry had cleared away the decorations from his desk, while Steve had taken Trina's down. Seth went over and sat down at his desk, firing up his laptop.

Steve walked into the station with Damien as Seth started playing the Cubs victory song.

"Oh hell no. I am prepared for you Rollins." Trina looked up.

She typed a moment on her laptop and suddenly some 80's sounding song started playing out of her computer.

"What is that?" Seth asked.

"It's Donny Osmond 'Soldier of Love'. I am fighting fire with fire!" Trina said.

"I love coming here. I seriously need to move my office here." Damien laughed.

John walked out of the locker room and looked around. "What in the world? I leave for five minutes and the kids get into something!"

"You two think you could turn that down for a minute?" Steve chuckled.

"I'll quit when he does." Trina said.

"Fine, count of three?" Seth said.

"Fine. One, two, three." They both turned off their music.

"You two need a time out." John sat down.

"Any luck finding out who our victim is?" Steve asked.

"No, I searched all the missing person files and he is nowhere in them. John faxed his prints to Charleston." Trina said.

"We added his information to the system so we are waiting to see if we get a hit on that." John said.

"How are things with Mayor Bigshot?" Trina asked.

"He has called an emergency meeting of the city council complete with the press. So he has pretty much scheduled himself a press conference. The sheriff, chief and me have to go." Steve said.

"Oh great, couldn't he just give a statement to the press and not make a big scene?" Seth asked.

"Not with an election coming up next week." Trina rolled her eyes.

"In the meantime, I have been trying to track down information on those decorations found around the grave." John said. "From what I have found so far, they seem like cheap plastic decorations found at any 99 cent store in the country."

"Any luck tracking which store?" Steve asked.

"None so far, they removed the barcodes and price tags. So I am working to see what stores carry those particular decorations…I thought my best bet would be the sign. See what stores are selling the same sign. So far no luck but I will get back to it tomorrow." John said.

"Keep at it." Steve said.

"Damien, what brings you by?" Seth asked.

"I wanted an update on the case, see what evidence we have. I am getting a lot of questions as well and I like to know what is happening." Damien said. "And I look for any excuse to come here because it is always fun."

"They do help keep up morale." Steve chuckled.

"Is that what you call it when Seth is driving me insane and my sports life is over?" Trina groaned.

"Oh come on, a few months and baseball will be back." Seth said. "With the Cubs as champions and all the ceremonies, getting their rings, managing the All-star team."

"You know Seth, I promised to make you pies for Thanksgiving…..before that day you might want to watch the movie 'The Help'." Trina looked over at him.

"Oh come on, he hasn't done anything that bad." Damien laughed.

"Maybe…but even if he worries I might do that…it is worth it." Trina winked.

Damien laughed. "You guys are too funny."

"Okay Trina, time to head home and get some rest." Steve said.

"Yes, Little Seth needs to rest after a big day of celebrating." Seth chuckled.

"You mean Baby Mathias needs to rest after a hard day of mourning the loss of baseball as his mommy knew it." She shot back.

"Will a XXL fit over your baby bump by Christmas? He is really growing." Seth asked.

She looked down at her baby bump. "Grow faster. If it doesn't fit, you might get mommy out of this mess a bunch of losers from Cleveland made."

John leaned over. "Are you sure you wanna come out here and put up with all this?"

"He has to, he can't stay in there forever." Trina says.

"His daddy tries to." Seth smirked.

"Oh brother, let's go before his jokes get worse." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Pillman will be here tomorrow to work on the phones again." Steve said. "Cone on wife, I will even watch some more of this Longmire show with you."

"I thought you didn't like Mathias?" she asked.

"I don't. But I want to see what happens with Henry. Besides, it is getting to be the holidays and if I let you watch 'Die Hard' you will want to name the baby John McClane." Steve chuckled.

"Okay, let's go home. Seth…if I come in tomorrow and my desk is decorated, I am giving Karen Angle your cell number." Trina stood up.

"Better behave Seth, that woman would turn you gay." John laughed.

 _ **Author's Notes-**_ _Thank you so much for the reviews and feedback. It really keeps me motivated and writing. You guys are awesome. Batistasprincess (Oh just wait and see what Seth gets into later in the story. He is a great uncle.) Paisley2 (Glad you like the snuff films investigation. And I love writing Dean, he is a hoot. I love LDP myself. And leatherface was left as just someone they didn't recognize, nothing more.) jcott3 (Of course it was Sable, who btw I am so surprised they haven't put in the HOF yet since they seem to be putting in all these young women and ignoring some of the true pioneer ladies. And of course Summer was just being a jealous witch about Steve and their baby.) nixystix (Not me, I am distracted with who they are gonna bring to Raw to replace Foley. I would be even more excited if it meant they were getting rid of Stephanie.) reikat (Glad you like the name Mathias, it seems to be getting mixed reactions. I still blame Bryan fans for the mess Roman is going through. I swear the man could cure cancer and fans would gripe that now Cena will have less Make-A-Wish functions to do. And I hope you are right about where things are going with Seth. I like your idea much better than my suspicions. However, the last three manias have disappointed me so I am not optimistic. And yes, I would LOVE for Sting to come to Raw. I am hearing rumors of Bischoff, which while interesting….he is no Sting.) carlyrosanna83 (Sting and Roman were the only good part of last WrestleMania. And if I have to watch the Rock give another pointless long promo in the middle of an event when we could be having a match and have his BS on the pre-show…..)_


	28. Scared Witness

November 8th, 0900 Hours

Seth walked into the station and found Trina sitting at her desk looking million miles away. He was working days this week while John's wife was out of town so John was taking the nightshift.

"Hey Trina, how is the morning going?" he asked as he sat down.

She did not answer.

"Trina? Hello?" Seth looked over at her.

She still did not answer.

"Earth to Trinvilla!" Seth snapped his fingers.

"What? Oh when did you get here?" she was startled.

"What were you thinking of?" Seth asked.

"Do you think Liam Neeson is circumcised?" Trina asked.

Seth stared at her. "What the hell?"

"He isn't an American. In some other countries they don't circumcise." She shrugged.

"That is what you were thinking of?"

"Yeah, I mean he is so tall you just know that he is….blessed. And then I got to wondering if he was circumcised." Trina shrugged.

"Is this a pregnancy hormone thing?" Seth groaned.

"Oh you have no idea. I feel like….never mind." Trina asked.

"You have become a nympho." Seth began laughing.

"Oh hush. I can't help it. My hormones are all over the place and I am madly in love with my husband." Trina said.

"I never realized pregnancy was so funny." Seth laughed more.

"Very funny. You have no idea how it feels. I want to have sex all the time, but then I cry because I feel fat." She rolled her eyes.

"You're not fat. Little Seth is just growing. Believe me, if you were single…I'd still hit it." Seth winked.

"That makes me feel so much better." She sighed. "I am hungry. I am gonna walk down to the deli and pick up some brunch. You want anything?"

"No, I am good." Seth said.

Trina stood up and put on her coat. The temperature had dropped and it was cold outside. She walked out of the station and started down the sidewalk towards the deli. She noticed that some of the stores were starting to decorate for Christmas.

Suddenly, someone stepped out of the alley between the newspaper office and the deli and grabbed Trina, trying to drag her into the alley. She screamed and immediately grabbed her nightstick, striking her attacker.

The attacker cried out as she hit his knees and fell away. Trina grabbed her gun and turned on the man.

"Hold it right there!" she yelled as she pointed her gun at the guy on the ground. She could see he was a guy with red hair and facial hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to….fuck that hurts." He held his knee.

"Hands in the air. Start talking. What do you want?" she glared.

"I needed to talk to the cops and thought you would be the least threatening." He held his hands up.

"I am pregnant, hungry and the Cubs just fucking won a World Series, guess again." She glared. "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to the police about a murder, but I can't be seen." He said.

"So you decided to attack an officer?" Trina asked.

"I'm sorry. I thought you'd be the easiest to talk to." He sighed. "Shit, now I am screwed."

Trina grabbed her radio. "Rollins, this is Conley. I need back-up in the alley by the newspaper office immediately."

"On my way." Seth radioed back but sounded confused.

"Now start talking." Trina kept her gun on the person. "What is your name?"

"Sami…Zayn. I swear I was not going to hurt you." He insisted.

"And considering you tried dragging me into an alley I am not inclined to believe that." She shot back.

"Okay, I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. But I wanted to get you somewhere private to talk." He said.

"Ever try calling us? Or coming to the station like a normal person?" she asked as Seth ran up to them.

"What the hell happened?" Seth asked.

"Jackass here tried grabbing me from behind and dragging me into the alley. Says he needs to talk to us about a murder case." Trina said.

"No one can know I have talked to you guys! I could be in serious danger!" Sami yelled.

"Seth, cuff him and then we will take him into the back of the station. And he better be telling the truth." Trina said.

1000 Hours

Trina walked into the interview room where Seth had taken Sami after they walked him to the police station. Sami looked very nervous as he sat handcuffed in the room. Jerry was standing outside the room to observe their questioning.

"Okay Mr. Zayn. I just ran a check on you and you have no criminal record. I also found that you are not from around here. So why don't you start with telling us how you came to be in Davis?" Trina sat down.

"I came here for help. I think I am in real trouble and that someone may be watching me." Sami said.

"Slow down, why would anyone be following you?" Seth asked.

"Because I stumbled onto something that I shouldn't have and now I am in over my head. They are afraid I will talk." Sami said.

"Who is afraid you will talk?" Trina asked.

Sami was silent for a few moments. "I need you to assure me I will be kept safe. I saw what those people did on Halloween."

"If you are witness to a murder and are in danger, protection is available." Seth said.

Sami looked up at them. "What do you know about the dark web?"

"Dark web? Isn't that a part of the internet where supposedly you can hire hitmen and buy drugs?" Trina asked.

"That is part of it. And there is a lot of urban legend surrounding it. A lot of nasty shit goes on there." Sami said.

"What does the dark web have to do with anything?" Seth asked.

"I watched them murder that guy in the graveyard on the dark web." Sami said.

Seth and Trina looked at each other. They silently agreed to see if Sami knew what he was talking about, or if he was some nut trying to get attention after reading the newspaper.

"What was his name?" Seth asked.

"They didn't use his name. It was some kind of Halloween special. I guess that is why they decorated up the grave." Sami said.

Trina raised an eyebrow. "And how did they kill him?"

"Others on the site were paying for them to add more weight to his chest. They had some kind of weights, like you use at the gym…only without the bar. The more people paid, the more they laid on his chest, all the while strangling him around the neck so that he would have even more difficulty breathing." Sami explained.

Seth and Trina looked at each other again. They realized that Sami knew about this murder, but were still having a hard time with the internet connection.

"Wait here a moment. We'll be right back." Seth said.

The two officers stood up and walked out into the hallway. Jerry was waiting for them.

"What do you think?" Trina asked the two men.

"I am going to call Steve and get him down here. I think this kid knows something. Either he is involved in this murder or he saw it. Not sure about this dark web thing, but we'll let him talk." Jerry said. "Seth, you stay with Trina in the interview. I don't want her alone with this guy. We don't know anything about him and he already tried attacking her once."

Jerry turned to walk to his office. Seth and Trina quietly discussed what they should do when they returned to the interview. They walked back into the room seeing Sami still in his chair. Seth and Trina sat across from him.

"Tell us about this dark web." Trina said.

"A lot of people know about the dark web, deep web…some of my friends have been talking about it lately. So I asked one of them to help me get on it. You need special software; you can't just get on google and find it." Sami said.

"Why did you want to go on it?" Seth asked.

"Curiosity. I thought their talk about live suicides and stuff was a bunch of bullshit. I figured I would get on the dark web, see a bunch of nothing, maybe a few websites where people claim to be hitmen and that'd be it." Sami said.

"So what software did you use?" Trina asked.

"Tor…a friend helped me download it on my laptop. Halloween night, I had nothing exciting going on, so I decided to go on the dark web and explore around."

"And how did you end up seeing a murder?" Seth asked.

"Have you ever been on the dark web?" Sami asked.

"No, our jobs give us enough weird stuff. We don't have to go looking for it." Trina said.

"When you go on the dark web a lot of the stuff you click on is already a dead link. So I clicked around a bit and saw a link to something called 'Halloween Horror Special'. I thought it would be some Halloween gag…maybe a Halloween themed porno or something. So I clicked on it. This screen comes up. In the corner of the screen was people bidding, paying something about the upcoming show. Suddenly a live feed came up. It was these two guys in masks standing over a guy that was tied to the ground naked in a cemetery." Sami said.

"Then what?"

"Like I said, the more people paid, the more weight they put on the naked guy. He was struggling to breathe. Then one of the masked guys took a cord or wire or something and began strangling the guy. Then they would stop, he would recover a bit and then they would start up again. All the while, people were paying them to add more weight." Sami said.

"Why didn't you call the police immediately?" Seth asked.

"Ummm, I made a stupid mistake. I typed in one of the message boxes that those people were sick and I was going to call the police. Then things got scary as hell. Another message box pops up, and whoever it was had my address and threatened that I would be in their next video. I do not know how they tracked me. I took all the precautions of blocking my IP address." Sami said.

"How did you figure out that murder took place in Tucker County?" Trina asked.

"After a few days, I thought maybe the whole thing had been one big elaborate Halloween prank, so I went online and began searching to see if any murders fit what I had seen. That is when I stumbled on your case here." Sami shrugged. "I honestly wouldn't have hurt you. I just didn't want anyone to see me talking to the police."

Trina sat back. "Our county detective is on his way here. Just relax until he gets here and then we will talk to you some more."

Seth and Trina stood up and walked out of the room. They walked out into the main office.

"What do you think?" Seth asked.

"His story is just crazy enough to be true." She sat down. "I honestly think he is a stupid kid that is in over his head and made a stupid mistake. He is harmless."

"You really believe that? He attacked you?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Seth, he didn't hurt me, didn't have a weapon and didn't attempt to really fight me. He is not the criminal type or he wouldn't have tried kidnapping someone in broad daylight in the middle of town when she is fully armed. He is scared and not thinking rationally." Trina said.

1045 Hours

Steve sat listening to Trina and Seth recap the story that Sami had told them about seeing the murder on the dark web. He wasn't sure what to think but had to agree with Trina, it was just crazy enough to be true.

"So you think this kid is telling the truth?" Steve asked.

"I doubt he would try to talk to the police if he was involved in this murder." Trina said.

"And this is a pretty elaborate story to make up off the top of your head." Seth agreed.

"Okay, this is what we do. Seth, you start researching this dark web stuff. See if there is possibly any truth to his story. Trina, come with me to talk to this kid again." Steve said.

"On it." Seth said.

Trina followed Steve into the back to the interview room where Sami was still sitting. She walked over and released his handcuffs.

"I don't think you will need those anymore." She said.

"I swear, I wasn't going to hurt you." Sami said.

"Did you target me because I was pregnant?" she asked.

"No, I targeted you because you were the only female officer in this town." Sami sighed. "I thought that would make you easier to corner."

Steve chuckled. "Bet you won't make that mistake again. And by the way, you are lucky Rollins didn't break your nose. He thinks that baby is partially his."

"This is Detective Borden. He is the detective for Tucker County. He is going to need to talk to you some more about what you told us." Trina sat down.

"Wait Borden…and you….oh shit!" Sami's eyes grew wide.

"What is the matter?" Trina asked.

"Same last name…he must be related to you and you are pregnant and you just took my cuffs off." Sami jumped up. "Look, I swear I would never hurt her!"

"What is wrong?" Steve frowned.

"Mr. Zayn…Sami. I know police are getting a bad rep right now due to cops around the US. But you can trust us. We are not going to hurt you. Steve is my husband, but believe me he is very level-headed." Trina assured him.

Sami sat back down but kept a wary eye on Steve. The detective sat down next to his wife.

"Do you still have the computer that you used to access the deep web?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, it is at my house. But I deleted Tor and I wiped out all my files to keep…whoever from finding out more about me." Sami said.

"Don't worry about that. We have experts that can deal with that. Will you give us permission to look through your computer and retrieve information about the deep web, sites you accessed and anyone who might have hacked your computer?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, sure as long as you guys keep me safe." Sami said.

"We will keep you safe. I will contact my department as soon as we are done here." Steve assured him. "Now tell me again how you came to see the murder that took place Halloween night."

Sami sighed. "Some of my friends had been talking about the deep web. Apparently, they got started on it from reddit. I decided to check it out myself. One of my friends helped my download the software Tor for it. Halloween night, I did not have anything to do so I sat down to explore the deep web. After browsing around a bit I found a link for something called 'Halloween Horror Special'. I clicked on it and it turned out to be this guy getting killed in a cemetery live."

"You told the others that there were people paying for the weights to be added to the victim. Did you know any of those paying?" Steve asked.

"No, they all had screen names." Sami said.

"Did you hear any real names used during the live feed?" Steve asked.

"No, the guys in masks stayed quiet. The guy being murdered was…unable to talk most of the time." Sami said.

"Tell me about this message where you say someone hacked your computer and had your personal information." Steve said.

"I got fed up with what I was seeing and typed a message in the chat box. Suddenly a private chat box came up and it contained my name and address and told me to keep quiet. I had heard some of these deep web hackers can trace you so I panicked and immediately shut down my computer. The next day I wiped it clean, deleted everything that I could." Sami explained.

"Have any of your friends discussed seeing snuff films while on the deep web?" Steve asked.

"Well sure, everyone knows that shit is on the deep web. But I thought it was mostly bullshit. I mean, I know animal torture is on there but that can be found on the regular web." Sami said.

"Have they ever mentioned watching a live murder?" Trina asked.

"No, but one of my friends said he found a suicide site. Something about people committing suicide on camera." Sami said.

"Have any of them ever had threats from hackers?" Trina asked.

"Not that they have told me about." Sami said.

"Would any of them have hacked your computer as a prank? Or maybe be involved in the murder you witnessed?" Steve asked.

"No, none of them are violent or into anything criminal…other than some weed here and there." Sami said.

"We don't have time to worry about some weed." Trina sighed.

"I am going to make some calls. Trina is going to help you with some paperwork. You did good by finally telling authorities the truth. Next time, don't go after a pregnant woman who is ready to kill because she is pissed off at baseball." Steve stood up.

"What is it with you people and baseball? She said something about it too." Sami was confused.

"It is a long story." Trina stood up. "I'll get you some water and be back with some paperwork."

1300 Hours

"Okay my team, where are we at?" Jerry stepped out of his office.

"I have a serious craving for deep fried pickles." Trina said. "Also, Sami has read and signed his statement."

"I have been on the internet for several hours now. To be honest I am having a hard time figuring out what is credible information and what is urban legend bullshit." Seth said.

"Any other departments have deep web cases?" Jerry asked.

"Still checking into the credibility of the few I have found online." Seth answered.

"I have spoken to my team in Parsons. They are going to put Sami at the safe house for a few days until we get more information about what is going on." Steve said. "I also contacted the FBI. They do have a deep web expert but he will not be able to get here for a few days. He is currently out of the country."

"Terrific, what do we do in the meantime?" Trina asked. "Don't they have someone else they can send us?"

"They claim this guy is the best. Been studying the dark web for over ten years." Steve said. "I need to call Damien. He might want to meet with our witness."

"Seth, need some help researching the deep web?" Trina asked.

"Jump in. There is pages and pages of stories about this stuff. I am not sure what to believe though. Like here….there is a story about an officer investigating the deep web and finding a show of a clown who eats a lady." Seth said.

"Any way we can contact that officer?" Trina looked over at his computer.

"No, I wonder if it is a creepypasta." Seth said.

"Oh great, now we have a case where we can't tell what is reality and what is fiction." Trina groaned.

"From what I have studied and found so far, the deep web is real. There is extensive information about the government shutting down the websites where people could order drugs." Seth said. "Pillman keeps telling us that whoever is making the calls has a lot of money and shady connections….sounds like the shit found on the dark web."

"But who around here would be into such things…or have the money?" Trina sighed. "This is a nightmare."

"How is Little Seth?" Seth asked.

"Baby Mathias is fine." She smiled. "He has been moving off and on this morning."

"Trina, take a lunch break and feed that baby." Jerry said.

"That is a good idea." Steve smiled as Robert Gibson walked in.

"Hey Mr. Gibson, why you delivering the mail today?" Trina asked.

"Busy day and someone is out so I am helping where I can." Gibson answered. "Rollins, you have a package."

"It's here!" Seth laughed and grabbed the package. "I have been waiting."

"Finally order a Taylor Swift blow up doll?" Trina asked as she sorted mail.

"Even better." Seth opened the box. "This is your Cubs hoodie."

"Steve, I am becoming Jewish." Trina said.

Seth lifted the hoodie out of the box. It was a newly released one announcing them as champions. "You are gonna look fabulous."

"Mazel tov." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Everything okay?" Gibson asked.

"For around here it is." Steve assured him.

Seth walked over and held the hoodie up against her. "Little Seth loves it."

"Drew Carey is full of it! Cleveland does not rock, they suck!" Trina said.

"Oh come on. You are the one that made the bet." Steve chuckled.

"Me and my big mouth." Trina sighed. "Put that away before I lose my appetite."

1900 Hours

Steve walked into the Davis station. He saw that John had come in for the nightshift, but Seth and Trina were still working. Both were on their laptops researching into the dark web.

"I got Sami all set up at the safe house. Leilani is gonna stay with him." Steve said. "How goes the research?"

"We got a lot of stories posted online from people claiming to have had bad experiences on the deep web. But all of these blogs and message boards are so questionable." Seth said.

"Hopefully when this expert gets here we will get some answers." Steve sighed. "Ready to go home?"

"Yeah, maybe you can figure out if Liam Neeson has had his Bris yet." Seth snickered.

"Oh brother." Trina groaned.

"Liam Neeson is Jewish?" Steve asked.

"No but Trina was wondering about his kishka earlier." Seth smirked.

"What do you two do when I am not around?" Steve asked.

John laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Trina asked.

"I didn't realize how much I missed the kids on nightshift." John said. "And in a way, their banter is comforting. It is like…I can hear them being silly so I know they are okay."

"You sound like a real parent. I used to think the same thing about my boys…even when they got on my nerves, at least I knew they were safe and where I could take care of them." Steve smiled.

"Does this mean we get an allowance?" Seth asked.

"Oh hell, go on home." John sighed.

"And Trina, don't forget your Christmas outfit." Seth chuckled.

"I am celebrating Hanukkah this year." Trina said.

"Then you can wear it all eight nights." Seth put on his coat.

"Come on, you two could argue all night." Steve helped Trina with her coat.

"I feel like a bubble bath tonight. You wanna join me?" she asked.

"Are you gonna make me watch more Longmire? Although I am interested to see where this whole thing with the psychiatrist goes." Steve said.

"I don't like her. You know what I don't get? When Victoria was married, she had all this chemistry with Walt. She gets a divorce and suddenly their chemistry is dead." Trina said as the three walked out.

"Must have been the forbidden fruit part of it making things so hot between them." Seth said.

Trina glared at him. "Do not give me something else to worry about while I am gaining weight."

"Seth, if she starts worrying about this, I am gonna cancel your gym membership so you can gain weight with her." Steve said.

"She doesn't need to worry. A playboy model could walk in naked and you wouldn't notice." Seth laughed.

"Summer wouldn't let a playboy model anywhere near him." Trina giggled. "Or Jey for that matter."

 _ **Author's Note-**_ _Big developments in the story. Thank you for all your reviews and feedback, they helped so much this past week. Jcott3 (Have no fear, antics will happen when she actually has to wear it. Actually, I know an old ancient cemetery called 'Anderson Cemetery' and it worked out because of the Anderson wrestling family. And honestly, I am so annoyed with some of the inductees. Leilani Kai and Judy Martin aren't in there but the chick Edge is shacking up with is? A few of the guys at work and I have endless discussions on the HOF.) Paisley2 (The Donny Osmond song always cracks me up. And yay for a mention of 3 minute warning. I can honestly say I am not excited for mania this year. So sad to think that a few years ago I counted down and carried on like a fool with excitement. But after three disappointments…..I am just like 'let's get it over with.') Batistasprincess (I thought it would've been obvious but I am kinda excited that it is still a mystery.) nixystix (If they actually got rid of Stephanie I would be so happy I might have a heart attack. Unfortunately, she is like her dad…has to be center of attention despite the fact it hurts their product.) reikat (If it had been Braun, the team would've recognized him. And at least Roman had it easier with the birth than one of the UFC fighters a few years ago. He was in South America for a PPV and literally as he was walking out to his fight, they told him his wife back in the US had gone into labor. Needless to say that fight was a disaster.) carlyrosanna83 (Rumor is Bischoff is going to be the new GM. That has potential but Sting would be so much better. They could create so many good angles with Sting. Beagle Brother (So glad you are along with us for the ride.)_


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